#the coldest city graphic novel

[joshuamyra]

Atomic Blonde is a 2017 American action thriller film directed by David Leitch (in his feature directorial debut) from a screenplay by Kurt Johnstad, based on the 2012 graphic novel The Coldest City by Antony Johnston and Sam Hart. The film stars Charlize Theron (who also served as a co-producer),. Plot London, November 1989: Lorraine Broughton, a top-level MI6 spy is brought in for questioning when an operation in Berlin goes bad, and tells her story in flashback. Eight days before the collapse of the Berlin Wall, MI6 agent James Gascoigne is shot dead by KGB agent Yuri Bakhtin, who steals The List, a microfilm document concealed in Gascoigne's wristwatch containing the names of every intelligence agent (on both sides) active in Berlin. A day later, Lorraine is ordered to Berlin recover The List under cover of repatriating Gascoigne's body, but lies to her boss about not knowing Gascoigne well, when in fact they were once lovers. She's told to look out for "Satchel," an infamous double

[bookclub4m]

Episode 191 - Dark Fantasy

This episode we’re discussing the fiction genre of Dark Fantasy! We talk about horror, grimdark, violence, amoral protagonists, epic fantasy vs small scale fantasy, the importance of tone, and more!

You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system.

In this episode

Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Jam Edwards

Things We Read (or tried to…)

Berserk by Kentaro Miura (Wikipedia)

The Citadel of Fear by Francis Stevens (Gertrude Barrows Bennett)

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

The Lies of the Ajungo by Moses Ose Utomi

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

Shadowland by Peter Straub

Flowers for the Sea by Zin E. Rocklyn

Twice Cursed edited by Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane

Other Media We Mentioned

Dark Souls (Wikipedia)

Elden Ring (WIkipedia)

Magic Knight Rayearth by CLAMP

Pet Shop of Horrors by Matsuri Akino

The Library at Mount Char by  Scott Hawkins

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (Episode 147 - Contemporary Fantasy)

Monstress by  Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda (Wikipedia)

Ravenloft (Wikipedia)

Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher

Leech by Hiron Ennes (Episode 184 - Horror)

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw (Episode 176 - Fantasy)

Norylska Groans by Michael R. Fletcher and Clayton W. Snyder

Porky Pig's Haunted Holiday (Wikipedia)

The Sandman by Neil Gaiman and various artists (Wikipedia)

Children of Men (Wikipedia)

The Children of Men by P.D. James

Fables by Bill Willingham and various artists (Wikipedia)

Deerskin by Robin McKinley

Links, Articles, and Things

Dark fantasy (Wikipedia)

Category:Dark fantasy anime and manga

Category:Dark fantasy video games

Grimdark Magazine

20 Dark Fantasy by BIPOC Authors

Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.

The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Eleventh Cycle by Kian N. Ardalan

To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

Funeral Songs for Dying Girls by Cherie Dimaline

The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson 

The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu

Babel, or the Necessity of Violence by R. F. Kuang

The Changeling by Victor LaValle 

Jade City by Fonda Lee

She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse

Tender Beasts by Liselle Sambury

Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

The Lies of the Ajungo by Moses Ose Utomi

The First Binding by R.R. Virdi

Give us feedback!

Fill out the form to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read!

Check out our Tumblr, follow us on Instagram, join our Facebook Group, or send us an email!

Join us again on Tuesday, April 2nd we’ll be talking about the format of Non fiction Graphic Novels and Comics!

Then on Tuesday, April 16th we’ll be giving an update on Media we’ve recently enjoyed!

#genres #fiction #fantasy #dark fantasy

[thechurchillreview]

I saw Atomic Blonde (2017) via Redbox this morn with a roommate. Quick thoughts about it. SPOILERS obviously.

Charlize Theron trained exceptionally hard to be the titular Lorraine Broughton. This was in fact a passion project for her. Her performance is top-notch. The action sequences she's in are stunning. Brutal. Inventive. Sometimes oddly beautiful. Musician/composer Tyler Bates adds yet another impressive score to his resume! Wowzers. The songs for the soundtrack are fantastic. They accompany memorable action sequences and a couple of good quieter moments.

But...

Atomic Blonde stars Charlize Theron as a spy in 1989 from a 2012 graphic novel (The Coldest City) written by a man (Antony Johnson) with artwork by a man (Sam Hart) with a screenplay penned by a man (Kurt Johnstad) with a director that is a man (John Wick originally uncredited co-director David Leitch, Atomic Blonde is his solo directing debut, he is attached to 2018's Deadpool 2 as director). Which explains a lot. *Sighs*

Her first appearance is in a bathtub so we can observe her battered bruised body, yet it continues by having her still nude form get out to have a drink and light a cigarette while standing in front of a mirror. At first, it didn't feel salacious then towards the end of the scene it did. Later on, in the protagonist's second totally needed (coughs) ice bath, the camera perspective comes off as completely gratuitous. Her contact James Percival (James McAvoy) is shown in bed with two topless women as a blanket hides his own genitalia: it is implied that the night before is why he's running late.

And during Lorraine's mission, in a nod to my least favorite stuff from James Bond films, she has sex with a French woman named Delphine Lasalle (Sofia Boutella, Gazelle from 2014's Kingsmen: The Secret Service, Princess Ahmanet in 2017's The Mummy) to solely gain information from her. Initially, at least.

However, this part feels passionate. Real. Not a means to solely an end like Lorraine tells Delphine. That was my takeaway.

Earlier, the agent James Gascoigne that was killed appeared to have a physical relationship with Lorraine. Anyways, this indicates that Lorraine is likely bisexual! Which the movie doesn't make a big deal about and that is why it is noteworthy.  

Better than declarations from Deadpool's director Tim Miller and Ryan Reynolds that their lead is comic book accurate pansexual as his goal involves reconnecting romantically with Vanessa after securing the cure from Francis. The lyrics of his rap theme song Teamheadkick wrote heard in the flick reinforce his heterosexuality that promised to be more too. Yes, I remain livid about this. 

“Hey goons, thugs and bosses, Guess what, I brought Colossus! Times up, better count your losses, Kickin' that ass as my girlfriend watches. Run away, you know that I'll chase, Every bad guy, but 'em right in their place, Revenge, I'm gonna give you a taste, I'm sexy as hell, but I cover my face.

About to take you all to school, with guns and knives, Deadpool... Tellin' jokes and breaking the rules, I came for the tacos. Deadpool... Playin' with the ladies and the family jewels to bust a nut, Deadpool.... 'Bout to throw down with all these fools, So come an' get some. Regenerate, because it's cool, When I fall off a ledge, Deadpool... The crazy ass guards all lookin' to duel, So click, click, boom! Deadpool... I don't believe in the golden rule, I came to get laid. Deadpool... Note to the ladies, I'm not a tool, I'm a sexy motherfucker.”  2016's Deadpool was written and directed by heterosexual men. No one remotely close to the representation Wade Wilson was meant to embody was clearly involved in the movie's creation. Even though they claimed Wade Wilson would be done right this time around. 

Lorraine's spoken words of "You didn't have to kill her..." is a sentiment I too shared since, yep, Delphine, a LGBT woman of color and the only other prominent woman in the narrative, is of course killed. You took a positive and wrecked it y’all. Ugh! She manages to fight back then we’re forced to view her slowly being choked to death before Lorraine can arrive in time. It was heartrending to observe... 

Said decision is likely another James Bondian callback. How most of the women James uses tend to die. For instance, there’s the golden dead body of Pussy Galore that was on several damn movie posters for Goldfinger (1964), Sean Connery’s debut as James Bond. It is on the Wikipedia for the flipping motion picture! Contessa Teresa “Tracy” di Vicenzo (Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg), a woman Roger Moore’s 007 marries in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) is murdered in the closing moments by Blofield and Bunt. 2006′s Casino Royale starring Daniel Craig’s Bond does this infuriatingly twice: once with Solange Dimitrios (Caterina Murino) and again towards the conclusion with Vesper Lynd (Eva Green). Additionally, this specific choice to remove Delphine in Atomic Blonde through this method painfully and angrily occurs often with both women and LGBT characters in the majority of media already. 

Still, this echoes what actor Michelle Rodriguez said a few years ago about women in motion picture roles. I am paraphrasing what Michelle declared. Specifically how there needs to be more women in director and writing positions. How men emphasize making women sexy via outfits versus wearing practical clothing (Lorraine's heels, some of Lorraine's strange attire choices that wouldn’t work that well for fighting). There’s a line about what Lorraine should bloody wear to meet the Queen. As a juxtaposition, there’s a scene in the 1979 James Bond flick Moonraker in which he meets Her Majesty in the nude. *Rolls eyes* How the majority telling and orchestrating stories remain largely white men and they essentially write women as a love interest (or with someone) or they slay them during the story. There is a real imbalance in Hollywood regarding this. This has unfortunately infected Atomic Blonde.

Besides Lorraine and Delphine, there's the aforementioned topless nameless women and one other woman in the tale being told. The remainder are exclusively men. James even mocks women in one really aggravating scene that takes place! 

What makes everything worse is that we've had women in similar action film roles done more justice. Less sexualized. Glamourized. Such as Beatrix Kiddo. Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games series. Judge Cassandra Anderson from 2012's Dredd. Ellen Ripley from Alien and Aliens. Heck, even Charlize Theron's own Imperator Furiosa in 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road! To list a few examples. It is true that the films they were in had men write their characters. Although in the case of Beatrix Kiddo a.k.a The Bride, she was created by both Uma Thurman and Kill Bill Vols. 1 and 2 director/writer Quentin Tarantino.

On top of that Atomic Blonde’s pacing isn't great. I actually realized my eyes were getting heavy despite being wide awake at the start. The dialogue is functional or blase, at best (”You can’t un-fuck what’s been fucked”). Nada quote worthy. Boasts an uninteresting villain: I didn’t even include the character’s picture above because said individual is such a snore. The writing tries to be too clever at points and is ultimately confusing when all is said and done. My verdict is that Charlize Theron's transfixing acting and sterling action work alone cannot save Atomic Blonde. Neither can its presented aesthetic nor tone. 

Atomic Blonde, is worth a rental, basically. 

P.S. The soundtrack and score, as I typed earlier, are SUPERB. I don’t wish to spoil anything else about either. Give both a listen sometime. 

#david leitch's directional debut #atomic blonde film #charlize theron #sofia boutella #the coldest city graphic novel #antony johnston #kurt johnstad #sam hart #spy thriller #james mcavoy #deadpool 2016 #wade wilson #lorraine broughton #james percival #james bond #sean connery #roger moore #michelle rodriguez calling out hollywood #goldfinger #moonraker #on her majesty's secret service #casino royale 2006 #beatrix kiddo #katniss everdeen #judge cassandra anderson #imperator furiosa #ellen ripley #delphine lasalle #lgbt #teamheadkick

[annadeligianni-blog]

Atomic Blonde

#atomicblonde #comic books #charlize theron #the coldest city #graphic novels

[bookslikeloleetah]

Just got this in the mail 😁 I can't wait to check it out

#atomic blonde #graphic novels #the coldest city

[antonyjohnston]

This is a really good piece for Screen Rant by Rachel Bellwoar, looking at the differences between ATOMIC BLONDE and the graphic novel it was based on, THE COLDEST CITY (by me and Sam Hart). 

Lots of stuff in here that I think some readers of the GN may have missed.

****MASSIVE SPOILERS**** (obv)

...But if you’ve already experienced both it’s worth a read.

#atomic blonde #the coldest city #graphic novel #Charlize Theron

[skarsgard-daydreams]

I finally got a copy of The Coldest City, the graphic novel on which they based Atomic Blonde. God bless the person who decided to make Merkel younger and more punk and to recast Lasalle as a woman 🙌

#the coldest city #atomic blonde #merkel #Gordon Merkel #delphine lasalle #lasalle

[roseshavethoughts]

Film | Atomic Blonde - Review

Women on Screen My ★★★★★ review of Atomic Blonde #CharityShopCinema

ATOMIC BLONDE by edz Gatdula Plot – An undercover MI6 agent is sent to Berlin during the Cold War to investigate the murder of a fellow agent and recover a missing list of double agents – Atomic Blonde. Director – David Leitch Starring – Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman Genre – Action | Thriller Released – 2017 Adapted from the beautifully cinematic graphic novel The Coldest City…

View On WordPress

#Action #Atomic Blonde #Charity Shop #charlize theron #cinema #David Leitch #film #film review #James McAvoy #John Goodman #lgbt #movie review #Sofia Boutella #Thriller #Women on screen

[pdrrook]

I adore the atmosphere and noir-ish vibes of the game ✨ What are your inspirations for it? Any books/film/etc you would recommend? Thank you 💖

Thank you! <3

I had a dream, as lame as it sounds. The whole dream sequence to be specific (chapter II). So I wanted the game to have that kind of grimey, kind of sleepy blueish-vibe I saw. I took some inspiration from fiction I already knew, like types of powers etc, but I didn’t focus on any particular book/movie. As for recommendations, though:

As one person already pointed out, you can find a similar setting (emotions as aromas) in Patrick Süskind’s novel Perfume: The Story of a Murderer.

But what I was going for (kinda) you can find in:

Atomic Blonde (2017), or the graphic novel it was based on The Coldest City (2012) by Antony Johnston.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009 and 2011) based on the Millennium trilogy written by Stieg Larsson.

#pfm

[cgoodin]

I have went out today and bought this from WHSmiths. Alex Rider is based on the best seller novel series that has also got its own graphic novel version of the same story.

I have been looking up on one of the artists named Antony Johnston who was part of creating this graphic novel. In his other projects, he has worked on “The coldest city”, The coldest winter” and mainly “Wasteland”. Upon looking at his artwork, he possesses different art styles to creating graphic novels.

His art style for Alex rider is amazing in my eyes. The colour on the characters looks easy to do, and the drawings of the environments look just as simple to do.

They also happen to look cinematic based on the viewing angle of the locations the characters are in. These graphic drawings of every panel look ruff to draw, but simple in my eyes. The city on the last panel is just as simple to make.

#antony johnston #Graphic novel #research #reference #alex rider #whsmith #AX3002 #Semester 2 #2020 #Animation #Uclan

[onipress]

Watch the restricted trailer for Atomic Blonde, based on the graphic novel THE COLDEST CITY by @antonyjohnston and Sam Hart! Starring Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, and John Goodman, and in theaters July 28!

Are you attending SXSW in Austin, TX? Don’t miss the SXSW screening of Atomic Blonde this Sunday, March 12!

THE COLDEST CITY is available now in local comic book shops and bookstores, Amazon, Books-A-Million, ComiXology, Google Play, iBooks, and at the Oni Press Shopify store.

THE COLDEST WINTER by @antonyjohnston​ and Steven Perkins is available now in local comic book shops and bookstores, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, ComiXology, Google Play, iBooks, and at the Oni Press Shopify store.

Find your local comic book shop with findacomicshop.com or comicshoplocator.com.com.

#Atomic Blonde #Charlize Theron #James McAcoy #John Goodman #The Coldest City #The Coldest Winter #comics #comic books #Oni Press #artists #art #graphic novels #comic book art #comic art #book covers #spy #thriller #Cold War #movies #movie trailers

[faerytalesfromtheabyss]

Welcome to Faerie Land: A Guide to Holly Black’s Extended Faerie Universe

With Wicked King making the NYT Best Sellers list and more people reading The Cruel Prince/The Folk of the Air Series, I decided to make a quick guide to the other books in Holly Black’s Faerie universe. 

One of the things I love about Holly Black’s books is how they interrelate. They give you background information about the world and side characters in TCP. But it’s not necessary to read these books to understand TCP. Also, since Jude has been in Faerie for almost her entire life she sometimes brushes over certain faerie rules that new readers might not know (eg. the effects of cold iron and faerie true names). Holly Black’s earlier books lay out these rules much more effectively.

So if you’re a new reader of Holly Black’s books, welcome! I’ll try to stay away from spoilers, and I’ll add links to Goodreads for more in depth summaries. If you’re a veteran, here’s a quick review of the other books in the Faerie Universe and a little bit about how they relate to TCP.

Modern Faerie Tale Series

For those of you who have read The Cruel Prince but not the Modern Faerie Tale Series, know that this series is a completely different animal. Just because you like one series does not mean that you will like the other. This was Holly Black’s first series, so it’s not as polished as TCP. It’s also a different genre. Modern Faerie Tale is very much urban fantasy while TCP sides more with high fantasy. It’s also very different in tone and atmosphere. Everything in the human world is coated in grime and the faerie world is simultaneously beautiful and terrifying.  

From other people I’ve talked to, you either love or hate this series. Personally, I love this series! When I first read this series (over 10 years ago now), it was different from any other YA series on the market. It’s still very different than anything you will find in mainstream YA now days.

Tithe

Tithe follows the story of Kaye, a modern day nomad, and Roiben, a faerie knight. Most of the story takes place in and around an unseelie court in rural New Jersey. 

If Folk of the Air poses the question: Can you gain redemption after a life of being cruel?, Tithe poses the question: Can you still be a good person if you were forced to do evil deeds?

If you were confused about the mentions of faerie true names in TCP and TWK, this book will clear up all your questions.

Also, it’s really interesting to compare the power dynamics in Jude and Cardan’s relationship to Kaye and Roiben’s.

Valiant

The first rule of reading Valiant: Do not expect this story to be about Roiben and Kaye. You will be very disappointed because they do not show up until the very end.

Valiant is about a human girl, Val, who runs away to New York and joins a group of kids living on the street. The group gets caught up in the magic of city fae. 

If you were interested in the faery drug Nevermore and all it’s fun (and not so fun) uses, this is the book for you.

Ironside

This book picks up with Roiben and Kaye’s story and also involves some of the characters in Valiant. It involves taking on a seelie court in upstate New York.

If you’re curious about how banishment works in the Faery Universe, what might motivate someone to banish someone, and how someone can get around banishment, this book might give you some insights. (I think this is going to play our very differently in Queen of Nothing, but that’s another post.)

Stories Related to The Modern Faerie Tale Series 

The Poison Eaters and Other Stories

There is a short story in this anthology that involves the Modern Faerie Tale characters. It also contains other short stories about faeries, werewolve, and vampires. If you love Holly Black’s stories, definitely pick up this anthology. It also has a short story that is kind of like a first draft to The Coldest Girl in Cold Town (An alternative universe vampire book. I highly recommend the novel!).

Also, there’s a short story about Kaye and Roiben at the end of the Barn’s a Nobel copy of TCP.

Stand alone:

The Darkest Part of the Forest

If the Modern Faerie Tale Series isn’t your cup of tea but you loved The Cruel Prince, you’ll like Darkest Part of the Forest. This story follows Hazel and her brother Ben in the magical town of Fairfold, where everyone knows the fair folk live in the nearby forest. There’s a coffin in the forest where a boy sleeps “with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives.” They say he will never ever wake up…

Ben and Severin appear in TCP and you see Hazel really quick, even though she isn’t named.

Grimsen (the dwarf smith in TWK) is also a minor character in this book. He made the glass coffin, two swords that get a quick mention in TCP, and the Greenbriar blood crown. 

Also, there’s a quick mention about the High King in this book. It’s cool to know that Holly Black was already thinking about writing TCP.

Related Reading:

The Spiderwick Chronicles

A lot of you probably read these books as kids. I re-read them recently and they’re still a lot of fun. 

Three siblings and their mother move from New York to a crumbling house in Maine. They find a field guide about magical creatures written by their great-great uncle and start to wonder if these creatures could be the causes for weird events happening around the house.

If you’re not entirely sure about the rules of Holly Black’s faeries, these books lay out the rules really easily

Sadly, the Grace children haven’t make an appearance in The Cruel Prince. But they do make a quick appearance in Valiant.

(Personally, I didn’t care for Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles, which follows a different group of children, but you can read those too.)

Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You

Even if you don’t read The Spiderwick Chronicles, I highly suggest picking up this book. It’s a copy of the field guide that the Grace children have in the Spiderwick Chronicles. (I have it sitting next to me right now.)

Personally, I think one of the flaws in The Folk of the Air Series is that we don’t get much of a description of what specific species of faeries look like. This book has beautiful drawings by Tony DiTerlizzi of a whole bunch of different types of fae. Though I do imagine that the fae in TCP are a little more terrifying and have sharper teeth, it’s nice to put an image to what sprites, phookas, etc might look like. 

The Good Neighbors (Kin, Kith, and Kind)

These are are graphic novels written by Holly Black and drawn by Ted Naifeh. I can’t give much input on these books because I haven’t read them yet! 

From what I know about this series, it is semi-related to the rest of the Faerie Universe. But it seems like some of the rules about faeries and the general world are different.

The main character, Rue Silver, makes a quick appearance in the first coronation in TCP.

Advise on reading order: 

If you haven’t read The Cruel Prince yet, I would advise reading Modern Faerie Tale or Spiderwick Chronicles first. I think these books explain the rules of Faerie better than TCP. Also, reading Modern Faerie Tale and Darkest Part of the Forest first will help you avoid spoilers for side characters in TCP. If you start reading these books and find they aren’t your cup of tea, I still advise reading TCP. TCP definitely has more mass appeal than Holly Black’s earlier writing. And her story telling has improved a ton over the years.

If you have any questions or just want to rant about any of Holly Black’s books, feel free to message me!

#the cruel prince #The Wicked King #tcp #twk #Modern Faerie Tale #modern faery tale series #tithe #valiant #ironside #spiderwick chronicles #the coldest girl in coldtown #holly black #the good neighbors #kin #kith #kind #folk of the air #the folk of the air #the poison eaters #cardan greenbriar

[lornaslibrary]

DNF

The Dark Vault, by V.E. Schwab

Red Mars (Mars Trilogy #1), by Kim Stanley Robinson

The Faceless, by Simon Bestwick

Bleak House, by Charles Dickens

Roar (Stormheart #1), by Cora Carmack

Night Work, by Thomas Glavinic

The Masked City (The Invisible Library #2), by Genevieve Cogman

Dark Age (Red Rising #5/Iron Gold #2), by Pierce Brown

Passenger (Passenger #1), by Alexandra Bracken

A Face Like Glass, by Frances Hardinge

1 Star

The Roanoke Girls, by Amy Engel

2 Stars

Year One (Chronicles of The One #1), by Nora Roberts

The Coffin Path, by Katherine Clements

The Rabbit Back Literature Society, by Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen

3 Stars

The World According to the Simpsons, by Steven Keslowitz

Fierce Fairytales: & Other Stories to Stir Your Soul, by Nikita Gill

Psycho, by Robert Bloch

Blackwing (Raven’s Mark #1), by Ed McDonald

Love Letters to the Dead, by Ava Dellaira

Sadie, by Courtney Summers

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson

Milk and Honey, by Rupi Kaur

Eon: Rise of the Dragoneye (Eon #1), by Alison Goodman

Angelfall (Penryn and the End of Days #1), by Susan Ee

Dreams of Gods of Monsters (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #3), by Laini Taylor [ REREAD ]

Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle #1), by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

Ghost Stories, by M.R. James

Poison Study (Chronicles of Ixia #1), by Maria V. Snyder

Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

4 Stars

Artemis, by Andy Weir

Unburied Fables, by Tiffany Rose

Dracul, by Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker

The Sick Rose, by Erin Kelly

Daisy Jones & The Six, by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, by Holly Black

Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1), by Laini Taylor [ REREAD ]

Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2), by Laini Taylor [ REREAD ]

Batman: The Long Halloween, by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale

Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death, by Amy Chu, Clay Mann, and Seth Mann

A Closed and Common Orbit (Wayfarers #2), by Becky Chambers

Record of a Spaceborn Few (Wayfarers #3), by Becky Chambers

The Invisible Library (The Invisible Library #1), by Genevieve Cogman

Batman, Vol. 2: The City of Owls, by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo

In The Tall Grass, by Stephen King and Joe Hill

The House of Lost Souls, by F.G. Cottam

The Rats (Rats #1), by James Herbert

If I Was Your Girl, by Meredith Russo

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens

5 Stars

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by Stuart Turton

Solitaire, by Alice Oseman

Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1), by Leigh Bardugo [ REREAD ]

Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #1), by Leigh Bardugo [ REREAD ]

The Diary of a Bookseller, by Shaun Bythell

The Girl With All the Gifts (The Girl With All the Gifts #1), by M.R. Carey

A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic #1), by V.E. Schwab [ REREAD ]

A Conjuring of Light (Shades of Magic #2), by V.E. Schwab [ REREAD ]

A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic #3), by V.E. Schwab [ REREAD]

Shades of Magic Vol. 1: The Steel Prince (Shades of Magic Graphic Novels #1-4), by V.E. Schwab and Andrea Olimpieri

The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air #1), by Holly Black

The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air #2), by Holly Black

Ink and Bone (The Great Library #1), by Rachel Caine [ REREAD ]

Paper and Fire (The Great Library #2), by Rachel Caine [ REREAD ]

Ash and Quill (The Great Library #3), by Rachel Caine [ REREAD]

Smoke and Iron (The Great Library #4), by Rachel Caine

Batman: Year One, by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli

Homer’s Odyssey: An Embiggened Simpsons Guide, by Mitch Grinter and Brendan Dando

The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1), by Becky Chambers

Batman, Vol. 1: The Court of Owls, by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo

Batman, Vol. 3: Death of the Family, by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo

Red Rising (Red Rising #1), by Pierce Brown [ REREAD ]

Golden Son (Red Rising #2), by Pierce Brown [ REREAD ]

Morning Star (Red Rising #3), by Pierce Brown [ REREAD ]

Darkdawn (The Nevernight Chronicle #3), by Jay Kristoff

Nightmares and Dreamscapes, by Stephen King

The Passage (The Passage #1), by Justin Cronin [ REREAD ]

The Twelve (The Passage #2), by Justin Cronin [ REREAD ]

The City of Mirrors (The Passage #3), by Justin Cronin

The Institute, by Stephen King

It, by Stephen King [ REREAD ]

‘Salem’s Lot, by Stephen King [ REREAD ]

Heartstopper, Vol 1, by Alice Oseman

Heartstopper, Vol 2, by Alice Oseman

The Shining, by Stephen King [ REREAD ]

#booklr #yearly wrap up #2019 wrap up #mine

[letsgothru]

Atomic Blonde Movie Review

Despite its flashy comic book style aesthetics, captivating fight scenes, and impressive physical performance from Charlize Theron as British spy Lorraine Broughton, Atomic Blonde (2017) suffers from the classic ‘all style no substance’. Unfortunately it’s bogged down by unsympathetic characters and disjointed plot. But there are two elements that the film does quite well in providing both style and substance: the use of lighting and the execution of action sequences.

Based on the 2012 graphic novel The Coldest City, Atomic Blonde centres around Lorraine Broughton, a spy tasked with retrieving the names of the double agents who will be crossing into the West during the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. This is the political backdrop of the film. Director David Leitch constantly reminds the audience that they are in the 80s with dramatic spray painted graphics, a killer soundtrack full of reimagined 80s hit songs and neon upon neon. 

The look Leitch and cinematographer Johnathan Sela (collaborators with Chad Stahelski on 2014’s John Wick) create hinges off of the punchy comic book aesthetic and the 80s love of neon. The neon lighting in Atomic Blonde is era appropriate but also symbolic. Each character is doused in their own colored lighting. Lorraine drowning in blue, Jame McAvoy’s eccentric MI6 character David Percival always with a saturated green and the sensual French spy, Delphine Lasalle played by Sofia Boutella, in a captivating red. These colours represent the cold, detached demeanour of Lorraine, the greed of Percival and the romance of Lasalle. The interiors drenched in saturated light pair well with the depressing and drab exterior colour grading, perhaps symbolizing the contrast between the excessive partying of the 80s and the political turmoil of Germany at that time. Albeit cool looking, the neon lighting ends up feeling overused, losing its lustre halfway through the film. 

More important than the hidden symbolism of colour in Atomic Blonde, is the action. It’s the action that makes you appreciate this movie. The sequences are expertly choreographed, executed and shot. They are a clear jump into the new era of cinematic action choreography brought on by Leitch, Sela and Stahelski from John Wick, starring Keanu Reeves. 

It’s refreshing to see more fight sequences break free from the shaky, over-cut action inspired by Doug Liman’s The Bourne Identity (2002). The smooth dance between actors and camera has become a staple of Leitch and he leaves the audience captivated by every move and bloody blow.

Not only is the action fresh, it’s believable. Theron was very adamant on creating choreography that a woman would actually, and could actually execute. Not only that but her character gets beat up. Really beat up. At one point you think to yourself, “Jeeze. Stop. This is too much.” Which is fantastic. Each blow seems harrowing to our protagonist, raising the stakes as the next bad guy in a never ending stream of bad guys rounds the corner. It’s a testimate to Lorraine’s perseverance and strength. 

Does the above make Lorraine anymore less dangerous or the action sequences any less interesting? No. Arguably her cleverness and sneakiness make Lorraine more lethal and the sequences more interesting. Lorraine uses her environment to win a fight. Nothing about a man being stabbed in the neck with a stiletto heel sounds boring. Atomic Blonde takes both The Bourne Identiy’s iconic pen stabbing scene and John Wick’s gun-fu action to a terrifyingly “lady-like” place.

Watch a clip of the action below in the film’s Stairwell Scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XarGS1AeEcE

Is there a deeper, profound meaning underneath the hood of Atomic Blonde? Not really. But it’s a fun flick and a step in the right direction in creating believable female action heroes who are just as dangerous as the male ones. And for their own reasons. If you go into Atomic Blonde wanting an overly stylistic portrayal of a chilly female spy breaking the bones of bad guys in unexpected ways, the film delivers. Just don’t expect to be moved emotionally by the experience.

Like the Atomic Blonde soundtrack? Have a listen to HEALTH’s cover of Blue Monday by New Order, made specifically for the film:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYtGJGp-9hA

#movie #movie review #review #atomic blonde #charlize theron #film #films #film review #action #movies #james macavoy #opinion #writing #sunday

[antonyjohnston]

ATOMIC BLONDE alert, 2 of 2: New softcover edition of the graphic novel! 

On sale next month (Comic stores May 10, bookstores May 23). Pre-order your copy now...

#atomic blonde #the coldest city #oni press #graphic novel #Charlize Theron

[addictedforbooksquad]

P I C K (S)  O F  T H E  M O N T H: J U N E

Torn by Natalia Jaster

A Clash Of Kings by George R. R. Martin

Torn by Natalia Jaster

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, New Adult

Synopsis:

Could you break someone's heart to save your own? Anger is an exiled god. Banished for rebelling against the Fate Court and jilted by the goddess he can't forget, he prowls the mortal realm with a bitter aftertaste on his tongue. But Anger's not as alone as he thinks. In a celestial city where the stars shine brightest, immortal outcasts reign. Merry is one of them. She's like no one Anger has ever met-a starry-eyed misfit hiding just as many forbidden secrets as he is. As a revolution simmers between renegade deities and their ancient rulers, Merry is the key to Anger's retribution. She's the only one who can help him defy the Fates and reclaim his magic. According to a dangerous legend written in the stars, she also has the power to mend his broken heart. The price: In order to do that, he must break hers. Torn is the second book in the Selfish Myths urban fantasy romance series by Natalia Jaster. If you like slow burns, bad-boy gods, and feisty goddesses, this steamy mythology retelling will leave you wanting more. Pick up your copy and swoon!

Why we love it:

interesting world-building and storyline, with personified myths as characters

beautiful poetic writing as always

sometimes one potent line can hit you like a brick - brick of emotional pain

everyone needs to get on Natalia Jaster train and read her books

Trigger warnings: n/a

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A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin

Genres: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Adult

Synopsis:

A comet the color of blood and flame cuts across the sky. Two great leaders—Lord Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon—who hold sway over an age of enforced peace are dead, victims of royal treachery. Now, from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war. It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel...and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles. Here is the second volume in George R.R. Martin magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Game of Thrones and A Storm of Swords. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R.R. Martin stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.

Why we love it:

a brilliant continuation to a much loved fantasy series

a lot of Tyrion chapters in this one, which is great as he’s such a well-written character - although a bit of a creep at times, still he’s one of the better Lannisters

first big battle, ‘The Battle of the Blackwater’, happens in this one

lots of political intrigue and shifts in alliances 

few character POVs

GRRM is the master of high fantasy and an amazing world-builder

Trigger warnings: rape/assault, graphic violence, graphic sex, incest, animal cruelty, child cruelty

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#book recs #dailylit #nadaily #bookworm #bibliophile #selfish myths #torn #asoiaf #pick of the month #sorry it's just a few #it's been a lazy month ;)