Bitterblue is the third and finale book in the Seven Kingdoms or Graceling trilogy. The book takes place eight years after the initial novel Graceling, and almost forty-five years after the second book in the series Fire. Although Fire is the second book in the series, it takes place thirty-five years before Graceling. It is important to read the three books in the intended order as reading Fire before Graceling would give away one of the first book’s major twists.

While I suspect fans of Graceling to have read both Graceling and Fire, if you have not, I do not think you will be at a loss. Although the three books work together as a complete, larger story, each book can stand on its own. However readers of all three will benefit the most out of the novels, as each novel refers and builds upon the preceding ones. If you have not read any of the novels, I do recommend reading Graceling prior to Bitterblue. While not the main character in Graceling, it is important to understand the title character’s (Bitterblue) past and what happened to her and the people of her kingdom. Other characters from Graceling make appearances throughout Bitterblue including Katsa, Po, Raffin, Bann and Gideon. 

When I finished Graceling, I was excited to find the book had two sequels, one already in publication at the time and the other still in progress. While I adored the original book, I was disappointed with its first sequel. Fire left me wanting more and feeling let down. Neither the characters nor the pacing of the companion book matched the quality of its predecessor. The lackluster performance of Fire, left me questioning how Bitterblue would fare.

I preordered Bitterblue before it released on May 1, 2012, but put off reading it for a few weeks. I was scared the novel would ruin my love for Graceling and the characters introduced in that novel. More than anything I didn’t want the sequel to ruin Katsa or Po, both of which are amazing characters.

My worries, however, were for not, because Bitterblue adds a nice finish to the trilogy. The book carefully weaves together storylines unique to the third book, but also threads of story that have continued from its two predecessors. While the story is not as action packed as the first book in the trilogy, it is far more complex and intricate. The brilliance of Bitterblue is in the details and not in the larger story.

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In every life there comes a day of reckoning, a time when unsettled scores demand their retribution, and our own lies and transgressions are finally laid bare. 

ABC promised a shocking finale, and I can now safely say they made good on that claim.

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I was sitting here trying to figure out what to say, while casually browsing my tumblr dash when I saw the gif below used to describe tonight’s season three Glee finale. It is quite possibly the best, one sentence explanation of what appeared on my television tonight.

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When I first heard the that the board game Battleship was being turned into a movie, I thought I must have heard it wrong. The game is not all that exciting. It combines some strategy and mental exercise, but mostly it’s a game of luck and chance. It never was a favorite of mine growing up, so the thought of it becoming a movie just seemed absurd. I couldn’t imagine actively playing the game for 2+ hours, let alone sit through a movie about it.

The previews did nothing to engage my interest further into the film. I liked how they went about making the energy field that acted as a barrier between ships, but other than that, the trailers just made it look like a Transformers-like film. The only part that intrigued me was Liam Neeson. He usually does good films, so I hoped if he were connected to it, it would be better than I expected.

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Dear writers of Person of Interest,

After these past few weeks of phenomenal episodes, I expect you to continue this trend in season two. I do not know what you were doing in the first half of season one, but it did not work as well as what you are doing now. Stick with this, because this, is better on every level.  The writing, the plots, the characters, the overall arcs, everything is more better composed then at the start of the season.

This show has seen incredible growth over its freshman year on the air. At first, I didn’t know how long it would last. I had my doubts that after sometime the names involved would wear off and the fans who only came for the names, would begin to fade away. I am glad I stuck through the rocky start, and waited for you to find your way. It was worth it. These last couple months of the season have been highly enjoyable.

Thank you for picking up the pace, and finding your way. My only hope is that season two can start and continue as strong as this season ended. If you can do that, the series will continue to grow and become a truly amazing staple in the television world.

Sincerly,

a fan.

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They say grief occurs in five stages. First there’s denial, followed by anger. Then comes bargaining, depression, and acceptance. But grief is a merciless master. Just when you think you’re free, you realize you never stood a chance.

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When one hour of Glee is just not enough for one night…

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“Ua Hala” offers an explosive, thrilling finale of the CBS drama. The number of victims started piling up within the first few moments of the episode.

Many plotlines and stories that were set up throughout the season culminated in last night’s finale.

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I’m torn on if writing a review for this episode would be best or I should just keep it simple. I’m currently opting for keeping it simple but with some criticism? I’m trying for some middle ground. I really don’t want to critique what could have been our last episode of Fringe ever. I feel like I should just be grateful to Fox for giving us another thirteen episodes, and not complain about anything. At the same time, it is not our last episode, and I have a few thoughts.

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As nervous and anxious as the end of the season and renewal time makes me, I’ve come to the conclusion that it should always been this time of year. The quality of television, on a whole, has vastly improved. While I love the actors of this CBS drama, I had a hard time getting into the first half of the season, but lately the show has been keeping a good pace. The stories have been interesting, and the format has even changed slightly each week to accommodate the newest number. I appreciate that it various.

“No Good Deed” follows Reese and Finch as they track Henry Peck, who seems like a private, reclusive man, until they discover he works for the NSA and has made a shocking discovery.

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