The Mark of Athena

The Mark of Athena

Nothing like total failure to generate ideas.

   The Mark of Athena is the third book in The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan. The Heroes of Olympus series continues the Percy Jackson series also by Rick Riordan. The Percy Jackson series is about Greek mythology but mostly about demigods and quests. Demigods are the children of Greek gods and goddesses with mortals. The Heroes of Olympus continues the series which involve Greek and Roman demigods, Greek gods and goddesses with their Roman counterparts. Unlike the Percy Jackson series which follows the story of Percy Jackson, The Heroes of Olympus is about seven demigods that is part of a Great Prophecy.

   So, the Mark of Athena is third book. What I love about these books is that it is full of adventure. Every chapter is filled with it. As a book lover, I am taken to a place where the gods and goddesses exist. The demographic for the book is the teenagers. It is a coming of age book; the characters are teenagers so the book depicts teenage romance, angst, friendship etc. As a book made for the teenage demographic, a lot can be learned from it. I just turned 20 and you may say I’m still a teenage or even a kid at heart. I love these kinds of fantasy books. I can only imagine what it would do to some people younger than me who really love books.

   “It’s got to be a gift… a sacrifice.” This line from the book has deeper meaning than it may seem. This “sacrifice” that was mentioned must be an act of selflessness. Selflessness is rarely seen in people these days. I rarely do acts of selflessness. But for this book to depict acts of selflessness, I commend Rick Riordan for writing a book with such themes. It may inspire people to act so, sometimes.

   I love mythology, especially Greek and Roman. At first I was reluctant to buy these books. I bought the first book of the Percy Jackson series, The Lightning Thief, and did not read it immediately. But when I started reading the book, I couldn’t stop. I kept reading, and reading, until I finished the first book. I finished it in like 2 days. So I went and bought the next books. The only published books then was the first 4 books. From then on, I became a fan of Rick Riordan and his books. The ending of The Mark of Athena left me hanging. I can't wait for the next book.

   Ciao!

Death at Downton Abbey

Death at Downton Abbey

(3x05)

When tragedy strikes, we try to find someone to blame. And in the absence of a suitable candidate we usually blame ourselves.

   It is already the third season of Downton Abbey. The series is set in the fictional Downton Abbey, the Yorkshire country house of the Earl and Countess of Grantham, and follows the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants during the reign of King George V. It depicts the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants after the post-Edwardian era — with the great events in history having an effect on their lives and the British social hierarchy in general. Such events depicted throughout the whole series include the news of the sinking of the RMS Titanic in the first series; the outbreaks of World War I, the Spanish influenza pandemic, and the Marconi scandal in the second series; and the Interwar period and the formation of the Irish Republic in the third series. (via Wikipedia)

   I’m just starting to write on this blog and it happens that the current episode is episode five of season three. This episode for me is the most dramatic of all episodes from the first airing. Lady Sibyl gave birth to a baby girl. The Crawley’s are very thrilled. They even hired two doctors to watch over Lady Sibyl. When the baby girl was born, Tom Branson, Sibyl’s husband, was even more thrilled to have a daughter. During the labor of Lady Sibyl, the two doctors, Sir Philip and Dr. Clarkson, had an argument. The latter saying they should take Lady Sibyl to the hospital and perform cesarean section because he saw some symptoms, like confusion and swelling of the ankles, that might endanger both the child and Lady Sibyl. But the former says it’s normal for someone pregnant and no need to take her to the hospital. And performing the cesarean section would kill either or both Lady Sibyl and the child. Robert or Lord Grantham, having endorsed Sir Philip, agreed with Sir Philip and Lady Sibyl was not taken to the hospital. She had a normal childbirth in Downton Abbey. Everything seems normal and alright. Later that night Lady Mary, Lady Sibyl’s sister, woke up Robert and Cora saying there is something wrong with Lady Sibyl.

   As it turned out, Dr. Clarkson was right. When Lord and Lady Grantham, entered Lady Sibyl’s room, she was having a terrible headache, couldn’t breathe, and had a seizure. The whole family was present: Robert and Cora, Sibyl’s parents; Mary and Edith, Sibyl’s sisters; Tom, her husband; Matthew, Mary’s husband. Tom and Cora  were holding Lady Sibyl when she had the seizure. Both the doctors were present and when the seizure started, they both agreed in one thing: there nothing more that they can do. I guess you already know where this is going. Lady Sibyl stopped moving, Dr. Clarkson checked her and it was certain Lady Sibyl is no longer breathing.

   I literally cried in this episode. And I’m not ashamed to say it. I cried. It’s just too much to take. It may seem dramatic but I really cried. Anyways, I really love this series. I’m looking forward to the next episode. I can’t say too much about this episode other than it pinched my soft spot. I’m drawn to this series. Maybe because it’s British and I love to be British.

               

   What I love in these series is the aristocracy. The Lord and Lady, how they live and how the society respects them. In this family, the word of the head of the family is the law. But sometimes rules can be broken.

   So that’s it for now. I’m going to try my best to write my “reviews” on some of the TV series that I really like.

   Cheerio!

Hello There!

Hi!

In this blog, I'll try to write as much I can whenever possible. I've recently graduated college. I'm now waiting for the start of the review for a board exam. In short, I'm on VACATION. What I'll be writing in this blog would be my guilty pleasures: reading books, watching TV series and movies. I'll write what I think about the books, the TV show, and the movies. My own opinion. So I guess that's that.

I'm currently reading The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan. I've read at least a quarter of the book, so give me at least a day or so until I finish reading and write my own "review" of the book.

Au revoir!