The Daily Prophecy

This post recaps my month: my personal life, all the books I’ve read & bought, movies and TV shows I’ve seen and my journey in the world of Bulletjournaling.
The trend of talking about a lot of food in my recaps continues.

At the beginning of the month we had a barbecue at my grandparents' house. The weather was amazing, more a mix between Spring and Summer than Autumn, so we took the opportunity to barbecue on their balcony.

1. V.E Schwab – This Savage Song.
2. Sarah J. Maas – Empire of Storms.
3. L. Frank Baum – The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
4. Rhiannon Thomas – Kingdom of Ashes.
5. Rosamund Hodge – Bright Smoke, Cold Fire.

Empire of Storms took up some time and I was in a very creative mood, so that's where most of my time went.

Movies.
Hail Caesar, this was a big disappointment, but that's also because of my wrong expectations.
Central Intelligence, funny. Bit cliché, but it made me laugh.
Walk of shame, funny.
Mockingjay part 2, better than part 1 and I will never ever get over the part where one of my favorite characters from that series dies.
Ridiculous 6, so so bad, but I still had some good laughs.

TV shows.
Finished season 4 from New Girl.
Finally continued watching season 2 from Reign.
Officially decided I'm not going to continue Stranger Things. So many people were raving about it, but 6 episodes in and it was still not working for me.

Title: The name of the wind.
Author: Patrick Rothfuss.
Pages: 722.
Published: 2007 by DAW.
Sort: The Kingkiller Chronicles #1.
Source: Christmas present from Daisy.
Rating: 2 OUT OF 5.

Innkeeper Kote narrates most of his tale to the Chronicler. Kvothe, when his family troupe of traveling players is massacred, spends years starving, beaten beyond count, in a crime-ridden city, then daringly enters a legendary school of magic.

This book was such a let down and I’m disappointed I didn’t love it like almost everybody. I guess I’m the black sheep here, because if there is one thing I can say about this book it would be ‘boring.’ Utterly boring. I thought this book would be filled with magic and perhaps even epic battles, but all I got was the terribly slow and uninteresting story told by an arrogant show-off. Kvothe really thinks he is a big deal, because he is supposed to be so intelligent, but he makes some pretty stupid decisions if you ask me. I don’t give a shit about Kvothe and this series is now on my ‘DNF-series list’ 722 pages was a struggle (to be honest, I only finished it because I got it as a present) and the sequel is close to a 1000 pages. No, thank you very much.

Title: Witchstruck.
Author: Victoria Lamb.
Pages: 320.
Published: September 24th 2013 by Harlequin Teen.
Sort: Tudor Witch #1.
Source: Netgalley & Publisher.
Rating: 3 OUT OF 5.

If she sink, she be no witch and shall be drowned. If she float, she be a witch and must be hanged. Meg Lytton has always known she is different;that she bears a dark and powerful gift. But in 1554 England, in service at Woodstock Palace to the banished Tudor princess Elizabeth, it has never been more dangerous to practise witchcraft. Meg knows she must guard her secret carefully from the many suspicious eyes watching over the princess and her companions. One wrong move could mean her life, and the life of Elizabeth, rightful heir to the English throne. With witchfinder Marcus Dent determined to have Meg's hand in marriage, and Meg's own family conspiring against the English queen, there isn't a single person Meg can trust. Certainly not the enigmatic young Spanish priest Alejandro de Castillo, despite her undeniable feelings. But when all the world turns against her, Meg must open her heart to a dangerous choice.

Witchstruck was one of those books that manage to take historical events and twist them into something new. I'm a huge fan of everything that has to do with The Tudors, so when I found this book with a paranormal twist I knew I had to read it; and I'm glad I did!

The first thing I liked were the characters. Elizabeth is exactly how I imagine she would be. Deep down she is soft and hungry for love, but she puts on a strong mask and she has the proud and arrogant way from her mother. I like how she's never truly bowing down to the will of her half-sister.

Then there is our MC, who embraces her gifts as a witch without hesitation. I thought she was a clever girl and I like how she refused Marcus no matter what. (That was one creepy guy) While the plot is pretty basic and there aren't many climaxes, I had a great adventure with this book.

Title: Nimona.
Author: Noelle Stevenson.
Pages: 272.
Published: May 19th 2015 by Harper Collins.
Sort: Stand-alone comic.
Source: Edelweiss & Publisher (but is also free on: Gingerhaze)
Rating: 4 OUT OF 5.

Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism! All these and more await in this brilliantly subversive, sharply irreverent epic from Noelle Stevenson. Featuring an exclusive epilogue not seen in the web comic, along with bonus conceptual sketches and revised pages throughout, this gorgeous full-color graphic novel is perfect for the legions of fans of the web comic and is sure to win Noelle many new ones. Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are. But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.

It has been a while since I've read a comic and I was delighted by Nimona. I wasn't blown away by the drawing style in the beginning, but I warmed up for it and was sucked into the story. I read it in one sitting and I liked the story behind Nimona and how Ballister turned into a villain.

Nimona is a kick-ass girl with an interesting past. She is feisty and her shape shifting abilities are amazing. One moment she is a girl with pink hair, the next moment she has turned into a shark. It was fun how she acts like a true villain ("why don't you just kill him, that is what villains do?") while Ballister is more into thwarting the Institution. There is one thing sure: you don't want to mess with her! Ballister is also a complex character and I liked his relationship with his arch nemesis Abrosius. I was totally shipping them to be honest, haha.

The only downside is that the ending might have been a bit abrupt. I would have liked to see a little more closure, because there are some minor questions left. I believe the author said that a sequel isn't ruled out, so I have my fingers crossed. I want more Nimona!

I am happy to be back! This adventure all started with the Thirteen days of ash and fire and the fun continued with the Queen of Shadows blog tour and ACOTAR. So, of course I did not hesitate to be part of the Empire of Storms tour when I was approaced by Maas Thirteen. Make sure to check out all the previous stops, because everyone has their own content.


Over the course of these five books, Sarah has created an interesting world. Together with Aelin and her court, we've seen many places and met different people. Today I want to explore all the information and recap some of the things we've learned so far. I used Throne of Glass wiki for my 'research' and the information is spoiler-free if you've read at least Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight.


The entire continent is called Erilea, with the most important countries: Terrassen and Adarlan. 

Let's start with Terrassen, the country of the Galathynius monarchs who where rumored to be dead. It is the largest country in Adarlan's empire and was the first one the King of Adarlan conquered. The capital city is Orynth where Celaena/Aelin was born. Other cities we see mentioned in the book are Perranth (where Elide comes from) and Allsbrook. The cities are surrounded by two mountains; the Staghorns and the Anascauls. There is also Oakwald forest. East of Terrassen there is the North Sea, which leads into the Great Sea.

Aelin, 19 at the moment of Empire of Storms, is the child of Rhoe and Evalin Galathynius and heir of Brannon Galathynius. He was the first King of Terrassen. He was blessed by Mala and later married her when she turned mortal. They got one child: Elena Galathynius (who married Gavin Havilliard) He stole the Wyrdkeys from Meave. She is born from the line of Mab, her deceased great grandmother, which makes Maeve her distant aunt.

Aelin grew up in Rifthold, the capital city of Adarlan. It is led by the King of Adarlan, Dorian Havilliard's, 21, unnamed father. He found one of the Wyrdkeys and used it for his scheme to conquer the entire continent. During his reign he managed to conquer Terrassen, Eyllwe and Melisandre. Another important place in her life is Endovier, a town on the west side of Adarlan. Near the town are the Salt Mines where Celaena managed to survive until she became the Assassin of Adarlan. 

We've seen her train in the Deserted Lands, where she learned from the Silent Assassins in the Red Desert. Skull's bay with Captain Rolfe make a short appearance in the novella's too, because that's the place where she saves the lives of many slaves.

Nehemia, 19, came from Eyllwe. The capital city is Banjali. Adarlan ruled over Eyllwe and the people were often captures and sold into slavery, to the Calaculla slave labor camp. King of Adarlan allowed the royal family to retain their titles, reasons are never told.

Aelin's mother came from Wendlyn. It is ruled by the House of Ashryver and the current monarch is King Glaston, with his heir the crown prince Galan Ashreyver. The capital city is Varese. The house probably descends from Queen Mab. Aedion Ashryver is Aelin's cousin and Galan Ashryver her distant cousin. Doranelle is the place where Meave rules. Mora and Mab are her sisters. Rowan Whitethorn, 300+ years and descended of Mora, is her nephew. Her cadre is formed with Rowan, Gavriel, Vaughan, Lorcan, Fenrys and Connall.

Anielle is a small kingdom and Chaol, 22, is the heir. It is now ruled by his father, Lord of Anielle, and he has a younger brother Terrin Westfall. It is close to the White Fang Mountains, where something dark is happening throughout the series with Lord of Perranth (also named Vernon) at the head. Chaol grew up in Rifthold, so there is no information about Anielle.

Manon, 117, is the heir from the Blackbeak Witch clan. Her original country are the Wastes, divided in Western and Frozen. The Western wastes region was once ruled by Crochan witches. Manon is waiting to return and reclaim their land, but in Empire of Storms you find out that it will not be an easy task. The hold of Briarcliff is situated along the coast.

Fenharrow is briefly mentioned, because Sorcha's parents originally came from that country and we learn some things about Melisandre in Empire of Storms.

That's it! A brief summary of countries and some important characters.

BOOK INFORMATION 
TITLE: Empire of Storms, Throne of Glass #5
AUTHOR: Sarah J. Maas
PUBLISHER: Bloomsbury
PUBLICATION DATE: September 6, 2015
PAGES: 704 pages
The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those don't.  As the kingdoms of Erilea fracture around her, enemies must become allies if Aelin is to keep those she loves from falling to the dark forces poised to claim her world. With war looming on all horizons, the only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.  Aelin's journey from assassin to queen has entranced millions across the globe, and this fifth installment will leave fans breathless. Will Aelin succeed in keeping her world from splintering, or will it all come crashing down?

Purchase: Amazon - Target - Barnes and Noble – IndieBound - Book Depository – WHSmith – Kobo – iBooks - Audible

AUTHOR INFO
arah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series and A Court of Thorns and Roses series, as well as a USA Today and international bestselling author. Sarah wrote the first incarnation of the Throne of Glass series when she was just sixteen, and it has now sold in thirty-five languages. A New York native, Sarah currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and dog.

She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Hamilton College in 2008 with a degree in Creative Writing and a minor in Religious Studies.

Author Links: Website || Blog || Twitter || Pinterest || Tumblr || Instagram



GIVEAWAY (OPEN INTERNATIONALLY) 
PRIZE: One signed copy of Empire of Storms, one Throne of Glass tote bag, one set of lip balms (Dorian, Chaol, Rowan) & one Celaena soap (c/o Behind the Pages) & Throne of Glass buttons (c/o ThroneofGlassPH)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Title: The captive maiden.
Author: Melanie Dickerson.
Pages: 302.
Published: November 23rd 2013 by Zondervan.
Sort: Stand-alone, companion to The fairest beauty.
Link: Goodreads.

Gisela's childhood was filled with laughter and visits from nobles such as the duke and his young son. But since her father's death, each day has been filled with nothing but servitude to her stepmother. So when Gisela meets the duke's son, Valten--the boy she has daydreamed about for years--and learns he is throwing a ball, she vows to attend, even if it's only for a taste of a life she'll never have. To her surprise, she catches Valten's eye. Though he is rough around the edges, Gisela finds Valten has completely captured her heart. But other forces are bent on keeping the two from falling further in love, putting Gisela in more danger than she ever imagined.

Gisela grew up with her horrible stepmother and two stepsisters after her father’s death. The only reason she endures the suffer are the horses: she can’t leave them alone. I thought it was sweet from her to care so much about her animals. One day,  she meets the heir: Valten. He invites her to one of his jousts and the end ball – they are practically in love right away.

When you read fairytales, you know that insta-love is hard to avoid. When it comes to retellings, I expect more. These stories are longer and have more opportunities to make it realistic. The fact that he falls in love for her beauty and kindness towards horses is rubbish. Being kind to animals doesn’t define you as a good person right away – but of course, she is practically flawless. There is also no character development and that made the characters feel flat. They were okay, but there is nothing special about them to make them stand out.

Dickerson tried to make the plot more spectacular by introducing another villain. This man hates Valten for winning and he will do everything to defeat him. I didn’t care for it and it made the story drag. There is this part where he bargained with Gisela’s stepmother, so he kidnaps her and wants to force her to marry him. She escapes with Valten, but are captured again and blablabla, it was boring.

Keep in mind that this book is a Christian book. There are random situations where they pray or talk about ‘the ways of God.’ Being someone who grew up with faith, it was still a bit too preachy for me.

Don't forget to tweet and Instagram with the hash-tag #fairytaleRC.

Hello hello! We are already in September and I hope you are doing great with your challenge. How many retellings have you've read so far?

Today I want to do something I did in the 2015 Fairytale challenge link-up in July and I thought it would be fun to dress up two fairytale villains! This is how I imagine them to look in our time.

I imagine Cruella in a timeless black maxi dress with her red pumps as statement. Of course, a big fluffy coat and a fun necklace.

For some reason I see Mother Gothel as someone who would dress to impress. Really classy and sophisticated look with the color of her plum dress in the movie.

How would you dress up some villains?

I found this post on Hello, Steph and I loved how it gave me more information about her as a person in a different way than normal get to know me posts. So, I decided to give it a shot!

A // Anxiety.
I think I have some form of anxiety. I used to have attacks, mainly during the night, which was terrible. I hardly got any sleep and I got afraid to do basic things; simply by thinking about them I would get anxiety. I'm okay now, though. Sometimes I have this social anxiety and irrational fear that I'm an outsider and that people only act kind to my face, but I try to let go of that.


B// Bullet journalist. 
I am still new at this, but I started my bullet journal somewhere in April this year and I am addicted to it. It has given me a way to get more rest in my head, less anxiety in my life and a way to use my creativity. It's a good way to practice my lettering, hand-writing and doodles - and I'm loving it.

C// Collector. I'm a book hoarder, I collect DVD's, I like to buy notebooks, I want to own everything I find with Disney on it and I am a big fan of Funko pops. Sometimes I'm ashamed about the amount of books I buy every month, but most of the times I'm just really happy with the collection I've acquired over the years.

D// Disney.
Everyone who follows my blog should know by now that I'm a big fan of Disney. It has been, and still is, an important part of my life. It is something magical to me and it never fails to cheer me up. Thinking about Disney, and specifically Beauty and the beast, makes me all fuzzy inside and I don't care what other people think, I will never grow tired of it.

E// Enthusiastic. If I love something, I can become quite the fangirl. I am a passionate person.

F// Family.
My family is a big factor in my life. They've always been supportive and caring. I grew up in a really close family with my father, mother, sister, grandfather and grandmother. We went on vacation together, sometimes even 3 times a year, until I turned 18. I feel blessed to have them around.



H// Honesty. Being honest is incredibly important to me. Trusting someone makes you vulnerable, so I need to be sure someone is always honest to me.

I// Interested. I have a curious nature and I always want to learn new things. Sometimes I miss going to school and I'm definitely looking around for courses that might interest me.

J// Jasper. We met at school. I had to redo a year and I was terrified to get in a new class. We soon became friends and after a year, we both finally dared to admit that we liked each other. It's almost 8 years now and he still gives me butterflies.


K// Kind. 
I like to think I am a kind person in most situations. If I dislike someone I have a hard time hiding it, so I will try to ignore that person, but overall I think I am nice to most people.

L// Lazy. I've never been an athlete. I'm not that flexible and most of my hobbies take place sitting down in a chair. I love swimming though, but when it comes to it.. I am quite lazy and I'm still planning to change that. It is one of my 'missions' this year.

M// Microbiology.
My passion. I love my work field and I'm a proud microbiology analyst in a laboratory in a hospital. The beautiful thing about this field is that it is all around us and ever changing. I like to keep track of all the updates and there is so much we have yet to discover. Fascinating. 

N// Netflix.
If I'm not reading, thinking about books, gaming or drawing, you can find me watching a movie or a TV show. I don't know if you are familiar with my TV show spread (you can find it over here), but this gives you an insight in the amount of TV shows I watch. I'm currently working on a list with shows I must see as soon as possible. I'm an addict and Netflix keeps me covered.

O// Optimistic. I am a happy person and I always try to look at situations with an optimistic view. Instead of focusing on the negativity, I try to look at everything I have learned from it and what I gained from it. Not always achievable, but it works in many cases.

P// Photography. I'm still practicing with my new camera, but I love to make photos. Instagram is my favorite social media (and I spend way too much time on it) and it is a good outlet to share my attempts to make good photographs.

Q// Quiet. I think this is the word people would use to describe me when they meet me for the first time (or arrogant, if they misinterpret my shyness). The bigger the crowd, the more quiet I get – unless I'm around family and close friends.

R// Retellings. This is also not a surprise to my followers, but I adore fairytale retellings. It is, next to fantasy, my favorite genre and I will devour any book I can get my hands on.

S// Summer. Hands down my favorite season. I HATE cold and rainy weather. My body seriously can't stand the cold and it makes me so cranky. Give me all the dresses, shorts, tanktops and sandals over thick sweathers, raincoats and boots.


T// Tea.
I hate tea. There, I said it. I've tried it so many times in different ways with different flavors, but I can't appreciate it. Water, syrup and juices for me, please.

U// Unique.
Because we are all unique (and I can't think of another word)

V// Vegetarian. I love meat and I will never stop eating it, but last year I've started to eat less of it and it feels great. I learn new recipes and ways to fill/spice a dish. It is important to me to eat healthy and this helps me to achieve that.

W// Wanderlust. I love to travel and see new cultures & eat different food. I have a fear of flying, but some day I will get over it and see more of the world. I have so many places on my bucket list and this year I crossed off Rome, Pompei and the Vesuvius.

X// Xylitol.
I'm a big fan of chewing gum. It's one of the things I always carry with me.

Y// Youtube.
I spend way too much time on Youtube. I watch all kinds of videos, from book hauls to make-up and hair tutorials. The moment I go on Youtube, I get sucked into this hole and sometimes I even wonder how I ended up with a certain video.

Z// Zodiac. I'm an Aries and I don't believe in Zodiacs.  If you read about Aries there are definitely things I can identify with; but I have the same thing when I read information about any other Zodiac.. It is a fun fact though that they say I am compatible with a Leo – and my boyfriend happens to be one. Guess I really picked the right guy!

And that's it!

Title: Red: true story of Red Riding Hood.
Author:  Liesl Shurtliff 
Pages:  288.
Published: April 12th 2016 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Sort: Stand-alone.
Source: Netgalley and publisher. Thanks!
 

Red is not afraid of the big bad wolf. She’s not afraid of anything . . . except magic. But when Red’s granny falls ill, it seems that only magic can save her, and fearless Red is forced to confront her one weakness. With the help of a blond, porridge-sampling nuisance called Goldie, Red goes on a quest to cure Granny. Her journey takes her through dwarves’ caverns to a haunted well and a beast’s castle. All the while, Red and Goldie are followed by a wolf and a huntsman—two mortal enemies who seek the girls’ help to defeat each other. And one of them just might have the magical solution Red is looking for. . . .