So that's it, another good series over. Cook said he's gonna write more, but this last one really felt like closure. What can I say? It's good, not great. Too uneven.
So, what I liked :

• the fact that it's far from the fantasy cliché of the young unexperienced peasant/orphan/whatever having no clue that he is in fact the Chosen One.
• Raven. OMG SO SEXYYYYYYY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (ok, I'll stop)
• the lack of manicheism
• the female characters. Again, far from clichés, real personnalities (YES, the male characters are not the only ones entitled to a personnality). Soulcatcher is my personal favorite.
• Croaker's schemes. Worthy of a drow, and fun to read.
• the creative swearing. If someone can appreciate that, it's gotta be me !
• some "disney" elements included in a gritty world. Like the flying wales, the unknown shadows, all that kind of stuff that reminded me of a fucked up childish cartoon. I thought it was funny.
• the unpredictability of it all. It's not a well-structured book and sometimes it feels kind of messy, but there's nothing as boring as a predictable plot. And this one definitely is NOT.
• when we find out about the Khatovar. Good stuff.
• And last but not least, the fact that if you add "Thi" in front of my name, it means either 'dead man walking" or "the one who walks with the dead". How awesome is that ??

What I did not like so much :

• sometimes it seems too messy, like the author doesn't know where he is going, and there are some long passages that are not very useful plot-wise and somewhat boring. And I felt confused a lot of time, wondering what was happening.
• too many deaths/resurrections things going on. Come on, it's like cheating.
• I didn't get the name stuff. Like, the Lady doesn't know her own sister and husband's real names ?? Otherwise, why doesn't she use them ?? She claims to know the Howler's name but never uses it even though he's a pain in the ass. And who the fuck is Ardath ??
• this last book was a bloodbath. I know it's war and it's not pretty but it felt more like, OK, this is the end, let's kill everyone just for fun !! Seriously, it made the Red Wedding look like a nursery rhyme.
• in the end, Tobo struck me as the Black Company version of Anakin Skywalker. Too bad.

There. So, what am I going to read next ???
      

http://gaygamer.net/2007/01/top_10_gayest_tabletop_charact_1.html

What the hell is jungle fever ???

 I have a hard time figuring out why I don't like Althea and Brashen more than that. I'm only in the begginning of my re-read, and so far, they both strike me as stereotypes. Given Robin Hobb's gift for characters psychology, I feel a little unfair by saying that, but it really bugs me. They're main characters, and I don't like them, nor do I dislike them. They bore me, in fact. I guess Althea is kind of your typical tomboy deprived of her birthright by some stupid male chauvinist, and it seems to me that she lacks depth. Brashen is not very different, except that his own stupidity deprived him of his birthright, and now he's becoming a sensible, worthy young man trying to make up for his mistakes. Blah.
I guess I prefer characters with many layers, and, well, I can't resist a touch of evil, so yes, Kennit is my favourite, at least in the beginning. I hate hypocrits, but his way to play everyone like little puppets is hilarious. Of course, I would hate him in real life, but as a character, he's great. I just love the gap between his inner motivations and the way they are perceived by others. And I love his icy façade and his constant self-control which remind me so much of Artemis. But they're not as alike as I had thought. As compared to my favorite assassin, Kennit is way more idealistic, more ambitious, less cynical. He believes he can change the world and make it a better place. What made me realize this is that Artemis's ambition was to be feared and respected by his peers, whereas Kennit thought this kind of reconnaissance was as good as admiring himself in a puddle of piss. I thought it was strange at first, but then I reflected the difference came from the way they were brougth up. Before his life changed into shit, Kennit  had a happy childhood, his parents loved him and his father told him he would be King some day. So that would be were his idealism came from. Still, even as he grew up to be a heartless man, he wanted to fulfill his father's dream for him. So, even though he was somehow forged, there still was a sparkle of light in him, as a remnant of his childish fantasies. Whereas Artemis's idealism was smothered at birth. It's funny to think that the one who seemed to more hopeless is the one who may still find happiness. But surely Artemis would say that it was this sparkle that Kennit allowed to grow that brought his demise. That it was a childish dream, but also a childish weakness. And that to leave a door open for weakness invites disaster. Artemis would never do what Kennit finally did, not because it's a monstruous thing to do, but because it would be a weakness on his part, and it would lower him to the level of those he despises so heartily. So Artemis's self-control is real, when Kennit's is only repression.

Every once in a while, when the right combination of boredom, craziness and enthousiasm occur, I tend to dash into random overly ambitious projects, like making a bra from scratch, even though I don't know fuck about sewing, or a comic strip, even though I can't draw.
I have been desperately trying to get my best friend, who hates reading, into ASOIAF, and after a few chapter he told me the translator's style was so fucking awful he didn't want to read it. Sooo... Yep. I will translate the goddamn book. All the 5 000 pages of it. Needless to say, all of my crazy projects ended up being nothing but projects, but this is ASOIAF, and I've already translated the last third of AFFC for my boyfriend, so... I am currently on page 4. Let's just see how far I can go.

So I've just finished Wizard of the Pigeons. It's a weird book and I don't really know what to think about it. Kinda like a draft. The atmosphere is not as strange as I had hoped (it was my first urban fantasy novel), and, as much as it shames me to say this, it reminded me of a Buffy episode. The one where she is in a psychiatric hospital and they say her whole life as a slayer is a fantasy and in fact she is mentally ill. It both fascinates me and scares the shit out of me. I said "draft" because the relationship between the Wizard and Cassie is very much like the one between Fitz and the Fool (which seems to imply the Fool was supposed to be a woman at first :p). The Wizard is in his mid-thirties, as Fitz is in the Tawny Man, he is emotionnally broken because he has gone to war at a very young age, he has left a wife and a kid behind, and he seems clueless regarding his powers and his destiny, just like Fitz. Cassie, on the other hand, is very enigmatic, she can change her appearance at will, can only speak in riddles, and has this strange mixture of power, wisdom and frailty, just like the Fool. And she is also secretly in love with the main character, who doesn't have a clue about her feelings.
What struck me most is Robin Hobb's gift to create annoying characters. Not necessarily evil sadistic bastards, but the kind of stupid people you just wanna punch in the face. Like Kyle or the Satrap in the Liveship Traders. In this book, it was Lynda. She had nothing but good intentions, and yet I just wanted to slap her. Hard. Even Lysa Arryn was not so annoying. That really is a gift.
But other than that, I don't know. The book seemed unfinished. Maybe I really have already read all the really great books.

Your Social Anxiety Level: 88% You have extreme social anxiety.
Your social phobia is a serious problem for you, and you definitely need help.
And while getting help may seem very scary, it's your only choice... except for hermitude!



Now that's reassuring...


Your Quirk Factor: 73% You're so quirky, it's hard for you to tell the difference between quirky and normal.
No doubt about it, there's little about you that's "normal" or "average."

You Are 40% Sociopath

From time to time, you may be a bit troubled and a bit too charming for your own good. It's likely that you're not a sociopath... just quite smart and a bit out of the mainstream!

Your True Love Is a Scorpio Why you'll love a Scorpio:

Strong and sexy, Scorpio will overpower you into falling in love (before you even realize it!).
You'll love being swept away by Scorpio - into a world of insane passion.

Why a Scorpio will love you:

You don't mind letting your Scorpio take the reigns, as long as you know you're truly cared for.
Loyal and devoted, you would never do anything to set off insanely jealous Scorpio.


... Oberyn

01) Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.

02) Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.

03) Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.

04) Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can't marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.

05) Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Britney Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.

06) Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children.

07) Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.

08) Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in America.

09) Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.

10) Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven't adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans.



Re-post this if you believe love makes a marriage.

I'm so proud of my fellow compatriots right now. It's so rare that it needs to be mentioned. At least not everybody is a zombie cow only able to move to cheer sports on tv. I kind of regret I had to work today, but let's face it : given how cold it is and how I hate crowds, I probably wouldn't have joined them. And I'm not particularly proud of myself on this occasion. But I never believed manifestations could change a single thing. However, hearing about this one really made me happy. Maybe it is time to change my point of view. I really loathe the path this country is taking, and maybe it is time to canalize my rebellious tendencies. It still is a free country, right?

I finally received my English edition of ASOS so I could re-read all the scenes with Oberyn in their original version, which led me to think, if he doesn't plan for something, anything, involving Ellaria, then why on Earth would GRRM bother introducing her ??? I mean, so far, it wouldn't have changed a tiny bit of the story if she wasn't there. So, why did he create this character ? To give us an insight on Oberyn's personnality ? To show that he was able to be in a committed, unconventionnal relationship ? Even there I am at loss ; I like to think that they are soulmates and all kind of romantic crap, but his words to Tyrion really shocked me ; Just the thought of Cersei in our bed makes her wet, the randy wench. It's not as bad as the french version where "randy wench" was translated by "slut", but still... That's hardly a way to speak of the woman you've shared everything with for 15 years, even more to a total stranger. And I don't think she is a mindless slut or whatever these words may suggest. From the few words she said to Sansa, I believe she is well-learned and clever, and I am led to think that she had more reasons than just sex to talk Oberyn into marrying Cersei.
I think (and hope) that there's too much mystery and awesomness to this intriguing, Cleopatra-like character, to be there just for decoration...

I saw her a few days ago on tv kissing another woman and it reminded me how perfect she would be for Ellaria. She literally oozes feminity, sexiness and confidence, yet there's something harsh about her face that would match Oberyn's ruthlessness.


Plus in this pic she looks very Dornish :



And these ones just scream Ellaria to me






But I guess Ellaria will not even be in the series...

I am so sick of that stupid game. Not progressing, my eyes and my wrists hurt, and it is FUCKING IMPOSSIBLE !!!! I do not have Parkinson (yet) and I'm not a rabbit wanker, so how am I supposed to get my hand to move that fast ???

This stupid game does not work, GODAMMIT !!!! It's so frustrating....

Just started The Silver Spike, I'm so excited !! Too bad there isn't a place where I could vent out my Raven fangirlism. No one even draws him...

You Are A:

Neutral Evil Elf Ranger/Rogue (2nd/1st Level)

Ability Scores:
Strength- 9
Dexterity- 10
Constitution- 11
Intelligence- 12
Wisdom- 10
Charisma- 10
Alignment:
Neutral Evil- A neutral evil villain does whatever he can get away with. He is out for himself, pure and simple. He sheds no tears for those he kills, whether for profit, sport, or convenience. He has no love of order and holds no illusion that following laws, traditions, or codes would make him any better or more noble. On the other hand, he doesn�t have the restless nature or love of conflict that a chaotic evil villain has. Some neutral evil villains hold up evil as an ideal, committing evil for its own sake. Most often, such villains are devoted to evil deities or secret societies. Neutral evil is the best alignment you can be because you can advance yourself without regard for others. However, neutral evil can be a dangerous alignment because it represents pure evil without honor and without variation.

Race:
Elves are known for their poetry, song, and magical arts, but when danger threatens they show great skill with weapons and strategy. Elves can live to be over 700 years old and, by human standards, are slow to make friends and enemies, and even slower to forget them. Elves are slim and stand 4.5 to 5.5 feet tall. They have no facial or body hair, prefer comfortable clothes, and possess unearthly grace. Many others races find them hauntingly beautiful.

Primary Class:
Rangers- Rangers are skilled stalkers and hunters who make their home in the woods. Their martial skill is nearly the equal of the fighter, but they lack the latter's dedication to the craft of fighting. Instead, the ranger focuses his skills and training on a specific enemy a type of creature he bears a vengeful grudge against and hunts above all others. Rangers often accept the role of protector, aiding those who live in or travel through the woods. His skills allow him to move quietly and stick to the shadows, especially in natural settings, and he also has special knowledge of certain types of creatures. Finally, an experienced ranger has such a tie to nature that he can actually draw on natural power to cast divine spells, much as a druid does, and like a druid he is often accompanied by animal companions. A ranger's Wisdom score should be high, as this determines the maximum spell level that he can cast.

Secondary Class:
Rogues- Rogues have little in common with each other. While some - maybe even the majority - are stealthy thieves, many serve as scouts, spies, investigators, diplomats, and simple thugs. Rogues are versatile, adaptable, and skilled at getting what others don't want them to get. While not equal to a fighter in combat, a rogue knows how to hit where it hurts, and a sneak attack can dish out a lot of damage. Rogues also seem to have a sixth sense when it comes to avoiding danger. Experienced rogues develop nearly magical powers and skills as they master the arts of stealth, evasion, and sneak attacks. In addition, while not capable of casting spells on their own, a rogue can sometimes 'fake it' well enough to cast spells from scrolls, activate wands, and use just about any other magic item.


Detailed Results:

Alignment:
Lawful Good ----- XXXXXXX (7)
Neutral Good ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (17)
Chaotic Good ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (17)
Lawful Neutral -- XXXXXXXXXXX (11)
True Neutral ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (21)
Chaotic Neutral - XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (21)
Lawful Evil ----- XXXXXXXXXXXX (12)
Neutral Evil ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (22)
Chaotic Evil ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (22)

Law & Chaos:
Law ----- XX (2)
Neutral - XXXXXXXXXXXX (12)
Chaos --- XXXXXXXXXXXX (12)

Good & Evil:
Good ---- XXXXX (5)
Neutral - XXXXXXXXX (9)
Evil ---- XXXXXXXXXX (10)

Race:
Human ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXX (13)
Dwarf ---- XXXXXX (6)
Elf ------ XXXXXXXXXXXXXX (14)
Gnome ---- XXXXXXXX (8)
Halfling - XXXXXXXX (8)
Half-Elf - XXXXXXXXXXXX (12)
Half-Orc - XXXX (4)

Class:
Barbarian - (-2)
Bard ------ (-2)
Cleric ---- (-4)
Druid ----- (0)
Fighter --- (-4)
Monk ------ (-19)
Paladin --- (-19)
Ranger ---- XXXX (4)
Rogue ----- XXXX (4)
Sorcerer -- XXXX (4)
Wizard ---- (-4)

I had a look at the Black Company mod for Warcraft and it seems really great, I can't wait to play it ! It's a weird thing how this book seems to have no fandom at all, or at least how I wasn't able to find a community about it on the internet. It really is a good book, though. Not as good as ASOIAF, but still it is good to read something so unconventionnal in the fantasy world. The women in particular I find very well written. They're not obsessed about being a mother (although the Lady seems to be pregnant, but I wonder how she will handle this), or about their looks, or other crap like that. I'm very happy to see that someone can write an actual female character without giving into "the  whore, the cook or the mother" cliché. And I love Raven. I like to think he is Artemis in hiding. But I'm gonna be so disappointed in the next book...  *sigh*.

Should you be MALE or FEMALE?*

You scored as a Neither

You think neither like a man nor like a woman. What you are you may decide for yourself. Most people will consider you strange, alien, weird or funny. You are probably quite interesting.

Neither 71% Either 50% Male 39% Female 36%

I'm Beloved !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!









Your Social Dysfunction:
Schizotypal

You display social deficits and oddities of thinking. Your perception and communication are similar to those of a schizophrenic.

If the Forgotten Realms characters were in ASOIAF...

Drizzt would be Ned Stark. Loyal, dutiful, honorable, self-righteous... boring.

Catti-Brie would be Catelyn because they are both red-haired, insipid, self-righteous too and they both annoy the crap out of me.

Jarlaxle could be... lots of people. Littlefinger or Varys for his "evil scheming bastard" side, Oberyn for his flamboyant and horny side (he had sex with a bloody dragon) and because they both owned a mercenary band, and maybe even Doran because he seems to only play games he can win. I could also see him as Euron Crow's Eye (although I'm not too found of this character) because of the eyepatch, of course, and the general craziness.

Artemis would be Arya Stark because they both had to learn how to survive the hard way at a very young age.

Vierna Do Urden would be Cersei because of the craziness and the tragic side to their character.

Her sister Briza would be Obara Sand.

The old Matron Baenre would be the Queen of Thorns.

Liriel would be Asha. Independent, strong-willed, chaotic neutral.

Sharlotta Vespers would be Taena Merryweather.

Calihye would be Shae for being so damn stupid in betraying men they slept with and then saying stupid things that made them end up dead.

So, here are my views on who should play whom in the series. Most of them don't have the right age, and some of them are not even actors, but what the hell...

Karina Lombard as Ellaria Sand



If there was a way to make people younger, Kristin Davis would be the perfect Margaery Tyrell :



Aaron Stainthorpe from My Dying Bride as Aeron Damphair



As for Brienne, I always had Cameron Diaz in mind (yes, I know, but think of Charlize Theron in Monster...)




Some other people whom I don't think correspond exactly but could be good:

Liv Tyler as Lady Nym



A younger Sophia Myles as Tyene




A much fatter Sébastien Chabal as Robert Baratheon



Bill Nighy as Tywin Lannister



Not very original, but Nicole Kidman as Cersei Lannister (she's got that I'm-an-evil-cunning-bitch look about her)



OK, they're gonna need a LOT of make up to make those two look like twins but... Jason Lewis would still make a good Jaime Lannister



David Wenham as Edmure Tully



Sam Neill as Doran Martell



Ian Mc Kellen as Barristan Selmy



That's all I got for now