6 Somewhat Good Reasons Why the Mad King is the Night King

SPOILERS AHEAD (I think?)

A bit of background first…

The Mad King was Aerys Targaryen, second of his name, King of the Seven Kingdoms. He was called the Mad King for his brutality during his reign, including hiding wildfire beneath the city to set off when the time struck him. He was later deposed by Jaime Lannister during the sack of King’s Landing.

The Night King we know nothing about. He has no history except for the fact that he was apparently created long ago—and did not start his march south until the time in which Game of Thrones takes place.

Here’s my suggestion: Aerys Targaryen—the Mad King—is the Whitewalkers' Night King and here are my reasons:

1.        The Night King rides Viserion, one of Daenerys’ dragons, at  the end of Season 7, destroying the wall. According to lore, only Targaryens can ride dragons. The only reason Jon could ride one of Dany’s dragons was because he was a Targaryen. How could the Night King, if the dragon was a Whitewalker or not, ride a dragon if he was not, in fact, a Targaryen?
2.        In Season 8, episode 1, the Night King leaves a symbol—a warning, if you will—at Castle Black. In the center is Lord Umber and surrounding him, in a spiral shape, are the limbs of people that the dead have killed (or turned). If we recall, that spiral symbol is the very same as the Targaryen house crest, but with dragons. What is its significance? If not the Targaryen house crest, what could it symbolize?
3.        The dead only began to march south during the time of Game of Thrones, after Aerys’ death. Why is this? Why would the dead be marching south towards a land where they could not thrive? Why risk themselves if not for a cause? What is their motivation? Here it is…The Night King (Aerys Targaryen) is marching south to retake The Iron Throne.
4.        Honestly, they kind of look alike too.    ------->>
   
   
5.        The Night King is not afraid of fire…and fire cannot kill a dragon.
6.        We do not know how he was buried. If The Mad King was not burned, there’s always the chance that he could have been turned. Lore says that the first Whitewalker was turned by stabbing a man with dragonglass. Who rules over the island that is known for having rich deposits of Dragonglass? Aerys Targaryen.

What if the Night King is the one to dethrone Cersei? What if Aerys Targaryen kills Jaime? What if he's back on the throne for a spell only to be deposed later? What are your thoughts?

Winter is Coming,

Lauren

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

4 1/2 Stars

Reality is tough...

           Sometimes it seems that there are far too many pretty stories to mask the ugliness of the world—stories where everything turns out in the end.  In school, growing up, our teachers would turn of the overhead projector and teach us about the harsh realities of the world. “During World War II, Hitler arrested the Jewish people and put them into concentration camps. Many of them died. The end.” So rarely are we given the full story through the lens of a documentary, textbook, or instructor. So rarely are we able to fully understand the tragic events that occurred during the Holocaust. Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl is the kind of story that only comes around once in a lifetime. It is a story of bravery, perseverance, and the spirit of the human condition.

            My grandpa fought overseas in World War II and never have I heard a single one of his stories or experiences. In fact, even his kids and his wife, have very little information. Last year, he passed away and sometimes I wonder what made the stoic, strong man, who never gave up his military buzz cut, who he was. What events shaped the way he approached his life, career, and family? I suppose I’ll never know, but this is why these first-person accounts of horror and tragedy are greatly important to our understanding as a culture and as human beings. So many accounts have been lost because of the victims’ refusal to speak of the terror they endured. My dad gave Man’s Search for Meaning to me as a Christmas present about six years ago because it was a pivotal book for his growth and understanding of what it meant to be human…and what it meant to be alive. I regret not reading this book when I was younger because I can guarantee that it could have helped me see myself as normal. It could have helped me navigate all the indecision and hopelessness that I felt in my purpose. It is a book that all people should read; because no matter where someone is in their life, it’s important to find that meaning.

            Viktor Frankl’s approach to his lot in life was inspiring. As he goes through the years at the Nazi concentration camps, he doesn’t complain once about his whole ordeal but approaches it in a way that helped him better understand why he was put on the earth and how he could make a difference with his observations and psychological roots. I have never read a book that doesn’t dance around such a traumatic experience. Frankl’s words are blunt, real, and he tells his story as if he were telling it to a close friend or family member. There’s one part in particular that really stood out to me when he was talking about meaning. Frankl was working in a trench with other prisoners and with the dawn came a grey sky. Frankl was speaking to his wife in his head because it was what kept him sane and he was trying to understand the reason for all of his suffering. In that moment he seemed to remember his soul “transcending” the world of gloom and watching as a light in a distant farmhouse turned on and he finally felt as if the whole reason for his suffering was right before him. He finally felt his wife was with him as he spoke to her. And as he did, a bird flew overhead and perched on the dirt mound he had just discarded and looked at him.

            The part about this whole thought process that really moves me is that at this point Frankl knows that his wife is dead, that he’ll never see her again, but he sees hope in the light and the bird in which he knows that she will always be with him. The whole point of this story is about finding hope in a hopeless situation. Frankl doesn’t explain the events leading up to his arrest because we all know that story, he doesn’t divulge the events leading to the Allies’ rescue of the people in the camps because we know that as well. Rather, Frankl’s power lies in his artful metaphors and his telling of the events in the camp as they happened rather than glossing over the fact that the people who endured these atrocities also suffered psychologically. We see pictures of the malnourished men and women in the camps with their shaved heads and ribs exposed, but we could never comprehend the mental trauma these people endured as well. At least with Frankl’s book, we are able to understand further and empathize more with the plight of the Jewish people during the Holocaust. 

            I’m sad this book is not a requirement for high school curriculums. All I ever knew about the Holocaust was from documentaries and textbooks. My clarity of the situation was diminished through remote accounts of the reality—as if looking through a smokescreen. My appreciation for this book has expanded tenfold since I was first given it as a gift. Frankl’s words have greatly influenced my understanding of my meaning on this earth and my purpose. Life isn’t pretty, but there are some extraordinary moments. Man’s Search for Meaning illustrates this stark reality.

With love,

Lauren

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Midnight at the Electric by Jodi Lynn Anderson

5 Stars

I AM A PHILOSOPHICAL MESS RN

Rating:  PG

Language:  G

Violence:  PG (There's a scene where an animal is cut open--my least favorite kinds of scene EVER)

Sex:  PG  (Inferences are made that it did happen, but nothing is described)

Drugs/Alcohol:  G           

           Every once in awhile you come across a book that is so monumental that even as you’re reading it, you know it has become a favorite for the rest of your life. Jodi Lynn Anderson has an uncanny ability to make me feel and hope for characters in just 250 pages. I’ve lost a lot of my faith in the YA genre recently because of all the books published, it’s very rare to find one where the characters are able to grow and change through difficult decisions.

            This book is about nothing and about everything all at once. It’s about family, finding new love, losing an old love, grief, and the bravery it takes to do what’s best for those who you care about most. It’s something most of us don’t think about too deeply because it’s the natural revolution of life. This story has a poignant way of assisting our understanding of the human condition—it’s sad at times, difficult and rough, but it is also filled with empathy, love, and complete and utter bravery. It takes a lot of strength to leave behind everything you know in hopes for a better life and I respect those decisions now more than ever.

            Through the book, we follow three characters—Adri, Lenore, and Catherine—all of whom are connected through a little farm in Canaan, Kansas. Adri stumbles upon the letters and entries from Catherine and Lenore as she’s waiting to be shipped off to Mars on a permanent mission. Through the girls, 100 years older than herself, Adri was finally able to find a human connection in a world where she thought she was completely alone.

            The importance of knowing your history and connecting with those of past generations is a pivotal point in the story. Recently, I was in Minnesota with my dad and we passed the house where my great-grandparents used to live and where my grandpa was born. It made me think of how much these little towns have seen. Passing the house, we saw it was recently sold; a fresh coat of paint applied; but inside was where there was so much life. That house had seen people live. Babies were born there, children were raised, grandchildren appeared, and people passed away. There were probably screaming fights and moments of quiet grief and that house saw it all as it transferred to each new family.

            I’m using a house as an example, but for this story, Anderson used a Galapagos tortoise. This tortoise was there when new life was conceived, she was there for births and deaths, she saw the hardest of life as children struggled to stay alive amidst the dust storms of the 30s. She saw the birth of new love, she saw children grow into adults, and watched as a family’s time came to an end just so another family could fit into the picture. She was the real trove of history. As Adri was reading the letters and the journal, the girls felt far away in the past. They were long dead and had faded into history, but as she watched Galapagos the turtle, sitting in the backyard, she realized that this turtle saw everything. This turtle was history…and I think that’s a very powerful thing. People can fade, but there might be someone (or something) left that still remembers and knows.

            I find it really hard to write the correct words down that express my overall gratitude and love for this story. People forget to reflect on the quiet moments in life and they’re often left forgotten. This is why this book makes me so inanely happy (but so sad at the same time). It has helped remind me to enjoy the little moments and rejoice in them because “a whole life can begin with one little spark.”  

(I will be making my whole family read this book. No question).

“There was a time Mama would say she dreamt of going back to England…and I used to believe her. But now I suspect—despite the terrible uncertainties beyond Canaan—that the main thing is she believes happiness is something behind her, to remember instead of chase.”

Onward and forward,

Lauren

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This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel

4 Stars

I would take three stars away for the animal death, but I’m not that petty.

Book Rating:  PG

Violence: PG (Like I said, ANIMAL DEATH)

Language: PG (A** was the only noticeable one, but maybe I just wasn’t paying attention)

Sex:  PG (“I felt tears on her cheeks, and tasted their salt against my tongue” is about as raunchy as it gets. Pretty innocent overall).

Drugs/Alcohol: G (Alcohol is used on one of the characters as a numbing agent).

            What an interesting take on the early life of Victor Frankenstein! I greatly enjoyed this read. It was dark at times, filled with adventure spurred by bonds of friendship, and was driven by well-rounded, engaging characters.

            I really enjoyed the back story which served as the kindling for Victor Frankenstein’s alchemical interests. Victor seeks to save his twin brother, Konrad’s, life after he falls fatally ill with an unknown sickness. Victor immediately turns to the ancient books of alchemy to find a cure. That cure is found in the Elixir of Life.

            Despite Victor not being particularly likable—he’s jealous and self-absorbed—I managed to still enjoy him. He was likable to me, despite his flaws, which is a sign of excellent writing. Authors sometimes struggle to make their characters likable despite their flaws and sometimes they fall into the trap of creating a character without any whatsoever. Victor’s personality isn’t what you would typically see for a main character in fiction. He’s the brother caught beneath his older brother’s more charismatic, more successful shadow. It was refreshing.

            And can we talk about the magical settings of Geneva and the Frankenstein Manor??  Gorgeous. Enchanting. Loved it all. It felt like a fantasy land within a historical world and it was everything I wanted. Victor, Konrad, their distant cousin Elizabeth, and friend Henry were separated from the real world through the manor as they produced plays and went on adventures throughout the grounds. It felt like a whole other world.

            I was also smitten with Victor and Elizabeth as a pair. I’m not sure if they’re great as a couple, but their chemistry was palpable which made their relationship all the more exciting. Victor’s passion combined with Elizabeth’s was powerful and they both knew it, but because of Elizabeth’s love for Konrad, (yes, a love triangle), it was suppressed. And honestly, the love triangle wasn’t terrible. It was actually well-written.

Just the relationships and the bonds between family were really a selling point for me. It’s rare to find a YA book where the parents of the children are ever present parts of the children’s lives.

            There were very few things I didn’t like about this book. My main issue was that it was written in a very simple manner. There was just a lot of he said, she said throughout, without much diversity in speaking actions. For example:

“Of course,” she said, entering the cell and looking at the table. “Is it done?”

“It is,” I said, stoppering the flask and shaking it vigorously.

“You are very clever, Victor,” she said.

“Anyone might have done it,” I said, pleased by her praise.

Honestly, it’s nothing too bad; I just would have liked some diversity in the speech. Maybe throwing in an asked or exclaimed would have been nice every once in a while.

            I’ll be giving this book to my mom to read as soon as I take all of my sticky notes out of it. It’s a good mix of fantasy, history, and gothic romance—everything I (and my mom) love. I’d highly recommend this to anyone who has a deep love for gothic romances.

"These past weeks, during Konrad's illness, my mind--awake and dreaming--had been filled with dread and cobwebs and darkness. I wanted the sun to burn them all away."

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The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas

1.5 Stars

(The language used was this book's only redeeming quality)

OFFICIALLY FROM 60% IN AND A SKIM OF THE REST OF THE BOOK

Rating:  PG

Violence:  PG

Language:  PG (I think they use “bastard”)

Sex:  PG  (Titus talks about mediocre lovemaking from the prostitutes, he and Iolanthe kiss, as to be expected)

Drugs/Alcohol:  G

               I have desperately tried to like this book. I first started it in 2015, THREE YEARS AGO. Since then I have tried time and time again to pick up the book and like it, gall dangit! But the literary gods had other plans and it ended up just being a mess of a fantasy read. The problem is that this book definitely had potential; it had LOADS of potential. There was a diverse and complicated fantasy world, a prince, magic, a boarding school. This story literally had everything in place to make it great. Instead, it majorly exploded in a barrage of poor characterization, boring subplots, and underdeveloped fantasy contexts.

                I liked Iolanthe to start out. I liked how the book began with a strike of lightning caused by an elemental mage. I liked how Iolanthe hung out with her mentor, Master Haywood, in a little house settled into a little, woodsy town. I had hope. But how naïve I was. As soon as Iolanthe escaped and met Prince Titus, things went downhill. The problem with these characters is that I have read them all before. You have Iolanthe, the “chosen one,” the most powerful mage of her time who doesn’t believe in her own skillset and says time and time again that she’s nothing important so why would people want her? Then, there’s Titus, the love interest, the prince, the guy who seems to be good at everything but hides his tragic past behind a façade of sarcastic wit and a devil-may-care attitude. We then have the traditional villain and the Gandalf-like character and it just doesn’t settle well. There’s nothing about any of the characters that makes me care about them.

                I got 60% into the book and at the 60% mark I still had no idea why Atlantis needed a powerful mage or why they cared. They have an entire city of mages that go unchecked so why the heck do they desperately need Iolanthe? Sure, she can call down a bolt of lightning, but I’m unconvinced that she’s more powerful than anyone else. (I’ve come to accept that I will be eternally confused by the plot of this book, and I’m okay with that. But if someone would like to clarify Iolanthe’s superiority or would like to help me understand why Atlantis needs her so badly, please do, because I’m very confused). I felt like the world lacked in development. The only thing I can tell you for sure is that this fantastical world is set within the real world and there’s a High Inquisitor that runs basically everything and a Callista who is a bad guy (I think). There was also a whole ordeal with this book, The Crucible, that can take the mage to a specific place and time and give them tasks or obstacles they must overcome. This book came out of nowhere and I still am confused as to why Titus is adamant that Iolanthe practice inside of it. Is it to be at her strongest when she comes face to face with the Inquisitor who wants her for reasons unknown? If this world would have been better explained, if there had been more development, I guarantee that I wouldn’t have felt the way I do now.

                Several reviewers say to be patient with this story. I’d agree; it takes loads of patience. Enough patience to last you through 60% of the book and skimming the last 40% before deciding it’s not worth another minute of your time. The plot fell flat, the characters fell flat, and the world itself fell flat. This book did a lot of faceplants. Even if the world or the plot is underdeveloped, it would have been a saving grace if there was good development of relationships and of characters. I was supposed to want Iolanthe and Titus to succeed; I was supposed to want them to be together, but the whole dynamic felt forced and I just couldn’t take it anymore.

                I understand that many people have enjoyed this book. I’ve mentioned in other reviews that I have a bad habit of disliking books that others have loved and it seems the trend continues. I like my fantasy books well-rounded, others like theirs simple and to the point. This story just wasn’t for me.

“What kind of person are you to live without honor or integrity?”

His nails dug into his palm. “Obviously, the kind chosen for what others are too decent to do.”

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May Fortune walk with you,

Lauren

Princesses Behaving Badly by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie

Solid 3.5 Stars

MAYBE I DON'T WANT TO BE A PRINCESS

           

          This book wasn’t bad, it was actually quite interesting; but there were a lot of small things that added up into making it not worthy of over the three-ish star mark.

            The history in the book was interesting. I loved learning about the different princesses or anti-princesses that broke the common mold and paved their way to infamy through battles, sexual favors, or by direct infiltration of the monarchy. Many of the princesses I’ve heard of before and have even admired in the past, but many of them were also weird, wacky, and sometimes downright terrifying. Plus, the shortness of each story was really nice. It didn’t feel like an overload of information which was great for someone with my attention span.

            BUT. There were several small factors that just added up into a controlled mess. To start, there were minor typos. And when I say minor, I mean that they were very minimal such as writing Princess Elisabeth’s name as Elizabeth every once in awhile. They were so minor that it didn’t deter from the book that much; it was just an inconvenience.

            Secondly, for a book that is supposed to be celebrating women, the author used the word slut several times which rubbed me the wrong way. I feel like I would have been okay with it if it was a word that was used back in the early first century and the 1400s (the eras in which she used the word). I don’t know, I may be nitpicking here, but it would have been better to use words that were contemporary to the time. It would have been better if the author didn’t call these women out as “slutty” even when just using the term as an example of a common misconception. Again, this could be totally far-fetched. I was talking to my mom earlier about my dislike for its use in the book (because it’s also not very academic) but she didn’t see a problem with it, so it could just be me.

            Finally, when I was reading through the references in the back of the book, I decided that I didn’t know how many of the stories I could believe. The author used many academic sources for her research, but she also used many non-academic sources such as blog posts, The BBC, and The New York Times. Now, these publications are generally accepted as viable sources for information, but they weren’t written by experts in the field who know exactly what they’re talking about. The articles were written by journalists—and while journalists are good at writing and research, the articles could also be full of bias which makes the information in the book itself less reliable. (I guess it makes sense, though. The author is a journalist herself).

Don’t get me wrong, it’s alright to take information from magazines or newspapers, but take it lightly. For instance, I would have been alright if the author used only newspaper and magazine articles for her stories about the modern day princesses that were all over the press in their times. The press was how information got out during the 1900s and 2000s. I just wish she would have used only academic sources and not magazine and newspaper articles for princesses from 500 to 1000 years ago. It would have made the stories much more believable, at least for me. I found myself just kind of reading, but not having any wow moments because it was information you could find if you did a simple Google search.

            I also wasn’t a fan of the author’s attempts at witty interjections. It ruined the flow of the information. I think the author is a very talented writer and could have just written out the history without trying to modernize it by her wit because it kept my interest even when it was just an outpouring of information. It was an entertaining and easy read; not to mention that the flow from subject to subject was generally smooth (when the author didn’t provide interpolations, of course).

            I’d recommend this book simply because it is full of good stories and it really piqued my interest into discovering more about many of the princesses I read about. Besides, who didn’t want to be a princess at some point in their life? This book simply satisfied my childhood interest (but also made me think that maybe being a princess isn’t all the great!).

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Long live the queen,

Lauren

Everless by Sara Holland

4.75 Stars

I AM SHOOK. PLOT TWISTS GALORE

Book Rating:  High PG

Language:  G

Sex:  PG  (Jules does make-out with a person whose name shall remain anonymous).

Violence:  High PG  (There’s a lot of blood, someone is stabbed in the chest, another’s neck is cut open. I’d consider it more like Narnia-esque violence).

Drug/Alcohol Use/Abuse:  G

            

            This book is so good. And not just good in the sense that the plot and characters are interesting, but good in the way that makes you feel like you’re somewhere else—like you’re only a visitor in your own world because the one from the book has totally and completely immersed you.

            

            The story takes place in a land called Sempera where seventeen-year-old Jules lives with her weakening father. It’s a world where time is considered a precious commodity to the elite few who are willing to pay for more. For most in Sempera, however, time is merely an idea, a few drops of blood that can be sold to see them through the next week. When Jules gets the opportunity to work at Everless, the palace she and her father were forced to flee ten years earlier, she jumps at it, despite her fears and hatred for the elite Gerling family.

            

            There are so many great things about this story, but what really hooked me was Jules’ character. It’s difficult now in YA to find that perfect balance between a total “Mary-Sue” character and a character whose only qualities are her toughness and emotional detachment. Sara Holland seems to achieve this balance. Jules is a tough character. She had to work hard for everything she got and it showed in her actions. This wasn’t all of her character though. Jules was also friendly and personable. She cared deeply about other people and how those people viewed her. She was hard-headed, a bit naïve at times, but never claimed she was all-knowing. There was one scene at the end of the book where Jules was witness to a death, a sudden death, and she reacted to it like a normal human being—by screaming. (Honestly, most people would probably either be too shocked to say anything or let out a cry/scream like our girl Jules did). She was an all around believable character who maintained a sense of purpose up through the very last page.

While on the subject of character, I thought Liam and Roan Gerling were both done well. I think what I like most about the brothers were their realistic relationships with Jules. Growing up, the three of them had been childhood playmates. Roan had always been the energetic and personable one whereas Liam was cold and withdrawn. I ADORED how Holland portrayed Jules’ infatuation with Roan. It was childlike and dreamy. Many authors would fall into the trap of making this childhood love the main romance from the very beginning, but I had a list of three people Jules could have ended up with and each pairing was given relatively the same amount of build-up. (This book is romance-lite™ which I appreciate more than you know). Additionally, I enjoyed the development of Liam’s character and development of Liam through Jules’ eyes. He went from “If you ever seen Liam Gerling, run” to a guy with redemptive qualities.

This isn’t a very happy story, but if you know me you’ll know I’m a sucker for that sort of thing. It made me think about what I would do in a situation where I could “bleed” my own time in order to afford my next meal. Would I do it? Would I die slower from starvation or would I give up the last year of my life for one last meager meal? How could you decide? I adore novels that represent a stark contrast between the classes because at times it seems all too real. It’s just you average girl-finds-her-courage-in-an-oppressive-world kind of story. (But one that’s done really well).

Adding to the reality of it all, I really enjoyed the relationships that were built throughout the story, I’ve read a lot of poorly written books lately and the relationships are always focused on the main character and her love interest(s). I always think of Bella Swan in this scenario. Her relationships were strictly isolated to Edward and Jacob. Her friends from school were practically non-existent because Stephenie Meyer didn’t build the friendships that would have made Bella an infinitely more compelling character. What I loved about Everless was that Sara Holland didn’t just build the relationships with Jules’ potential love interests, but she also gave her friends in Ina Gold, Alma, and Laura, and gave her mentors such as Caro (Forgive me if I butcher the spelling of names. I listened to the book and didn’t read it). Jules was able to connect with all sorts. Not only this, but the relationships were built realistically and they took their time to build from wobbly first impressions into trusting friendships and mutual understanding. PLUS, JULES WASN’T CONTINUOUSLY LUSTING AFTER ANY OF THE BOYS. (Except for Roan, but he was her childhood love, so can you really blame her)?

The only thing wrong with the story, if I were to be nitpicky, was the fact that the first several chapters fell into the unfortunate circumstance of info-dump. It took me a good while to truly understand the world and the whole concept of “bleeding time.” I suppose it was a difficult concept to explain in the first place, such as how it came to be, so I’m not entirely sure if an info-dump was avoidable in the first place.

I listened to this on Audible because sometimes they decide they love me and give me a free book and month. I didn’t enjoy the narration but felt like the story was all that really mattered. I’ll definitely be trying to get my hands on a hard copy within the next few months. I enjoyed the story enormously.

"The memory of our expulsion from Everless comes back to me in scattered images, bursts of sound and heat. I remember Liam shoving Roan toward the hearth, a moment of stillness like the space between lightning and thunder.”

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Hail and farewell,
Lauren