Beautiful Music: Intermezzo op. 118 no. 2 in A Major

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Greetings, one and all!  This month's beautiful music is another classical piece, this time by Johannes Brahms.  I first became aware of it through listening to a movie soundtrack by Alexandre Desplat, one of my favorite composers.  I was immediately taken by the sweetness of this heartfelt piece, and though it's title is a bit of a mouthful to say, the music speaks for itself.  Romantic and full of emotion, this piece is perfect for a quiet evening of contemplation or prayer.

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(DISCLAIMER:  I do not own the music or recording used in this post.  Recording here is of Nikolai Lugansky.)

Book Review: The Wingfeather Saga

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A several months ago one of my dear readers recommended this four-book children's series to me.  I can't remember who that was at this point, but whoever it was.... thank you so much!  

And then on the other hand.... How could you??  Nevermind, it's not your fault.  You can't help the- oh, sorry, spoilers.  -_-  I'll just get to the review, I guess.

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In the land of Skree, there lives a lovely family known as the Igibys.  And aside from when they sing in the garden, or when they tell lively tales, or when they play zibzy, they are pretty miserable.  The nasty Fangs of Dang overshadow any happy moment in the lives of the three Igiby children, Janner, Tink and Leeli.  But they know very well that as long as they keep quiet and stay away from the dark forest where the Toothy Cows live, they'll be fine....

Until one little dog bites the wrong Fang and all Deeps break loose. 

Suddenly, Janner and his siblings are thrown into turmoil as their lives turn upside down.  The Nameless Evil named Gnag the Nameless searches relentlessly for the Jewels of Anniera, and it's up to the Igibys to make sure he NEVER gets them.  Mystery, lies, secrets, and danger lie around every corner.  To defeat the darkness, the Igibys will embark on a journey that will change them forever...

IF they are not eaten first. And IF they can survive the Dark Sea of Darkness.

Maker help us.

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This series is among the most enjoyable I've ever read.  In fact, I don't believe I've read a fantasy book that made me laugh quite so much as these ones did. 

 Andrew Peterson has created something unique here.  The tone reminds me of a perfect combination of C.S. Lewis, Lemony Snicket, and Dr. Seuss.  One moment it was heartwarming, the next hilarious, and then quite dark indeed.  And all of it laced with distinctly Christian views, though the series itself is not overtly Christian.  

The world of Aerwiar is enchanting, though quite dangerous.  There is great beauty and whimsy, and also a load of crazy, scary creatures that you should thank your stars don't really exist!  

And the characters!  Oh, how I loved the characters.  They were the highlight of the series for me.  Well, them and the hilarious footnotes scattered throughout the books to expand on various wacko ideas and history.

Janner, the main character, is the oldest of three children, and his mother and grandfather have raised him to be the protector of his younger brother and sister, Tink and Leeli.  I found him incredibly relatable- probably because of him being the oldest (and a writer!), but also because of his very personality.  He is perhaps a little grumpier than I, but the things he struggles with really do mirror my own personal faults.   Though lovable, Janner struggles with apathy, pride, and selfishness- which can probably be applied to anyone, but his emotional reaction to those faults is pretty much how I would have done at his age.

And I just must say that my new character love is Artham P. Wingfeather.  Not a crush, mind you, but more of a... squish.  A squish is what my sisters and I call that feeling when you just like someone a lot, and want to be their friend, and want the best for them no matter what, and seeing them happy makes you smile inside.  

Artham was such an interesting individual.  I can't really talk about him much without giving much away, so I'd best stop while I have the chance.  

The other characters were wonderful too.  There are too many for me to talk about, so I'll just get down to the pros and cons.  

PROS

Okay, maybe I should have labeled the above section as Pros instead, since I've already sung the praises of the lovely series.  But, in a nutshell, The Wingfeather Saga is full of loveable, memorable characters, witty humor and an emotional plot that's sure to draw anyone in, whether they're 10 or 100.  Themes of redemption are woven through all the books, which opens up many discussion opportunities for parents who wish to teach their children about God and the redemption that He offer us.

CONS

(Spoilers ahead.  No names are mentioned, but just the same...)

These books do have a dark side though.  The antagonists are quite evil, and there are a lot of sad things that happen to the characters, and it's not the kind of bad think where you can just shrug it off and say, "Oh well, in the next chapter everything will be alright."  The tragedies that occur throughout the series have lasting consequences.  Some sequences can be a bit intense and may be frightening to children.  (SPOILER: for instance, the villain creates his minions by transforming humans into beast-like creatures, causing them to lose their free will.)
Parents should be aware that themes of imprisonment are prominent through the stories.  Children are captured by the enemy and snatched away from their parents, and they are locked up in prisons or made to work in factories with no reason to hope for rescue.  One character is revealed to have been captured and tortured for quite some time, and he has never been the same since then.  Characters are changed forever by the events that transpire, though in the end things are worked out for the best.   There are some character deaths too, which may be quite upsetting to young readers or listeners.  Parents will be the best judge for their children, since they know what they can handle.

OVERALL

I would recommend this series wholeheartedly to anyone who loves fantasy, comedy, drama, and adventure.  Just a word to the wise, though- it is emotional, and so be prepared as you read.
For young readers, I would personally recommend you to be thirteen and up before reading this book on your own.  However, as I said, that depends on the parent, the kid, and the family.  If you can handle it, great!  Because this series is not something that should be missed by anyone.

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-Emmarayn Redding

(DISCLAIMER:  Images taken from The Wingfeather Saga)

My Last Days as a Teenager

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That's right... the end is dead ahead.  With my twentieth birthday coming up in the next forty-eight hours I will bid goodbye to my teen-aged years.   

It's a bit of an odd feeling... on one hand, I feel pretty relaxed.  So what if I'm entering another decade?  Big deal, I'm good, I'm cool, I'm fine....

But on the other hand, HOLY COW, I'M TURNING TWENTY.

I rarely use all caps for more than one word, by the way.  

I remember when I was sixteen or seventeen and I was suddenly struck with what I called a "late-teens crisis", when I realized that I was more than half-way through being a teenager, and just a few short years from being an official adult.  For some reason I thought that my eighteenth year would signify the end of my childhood, for good.  I kept thinking of all the things I hadn't done as a kid, that maybe I'd wasted those precious years with useless and meaningless activities that really weren't that memorable.    This troubled me for months, though I didn't say much to anyone because deep down I felt it was sort of silly.

Finally I realized that becoming an adult didn't mean the end of fun- but was rather a gateway to a whole new world to explore at my own pace.  As long as I could pay for it, I could be a kid as long as I wanted.  :)

So this year, instead of worrying about entering a new decade and what-am-I-doing-with-my-life, I've been thinking of how blessed God has made me throughout the years.  Right now I have everything I ever wanted as a kid.  I grew up to look the way I wanted, I have a car of my own, I work at a library, I've published a book, and I'm still writing.  I have everything I need and more, and it's all because God  has protected me and nurtured me, and has been gracious enough to give me things I could never deserve.  For that, I am so thankful.

Now!  Just for fun I'm going to list the top ten things that come to mind when I think about my coming birthday.  Maybe someday when I'm married and have a ton of kids I'll look back at this and smile.  Or maybe one of my future kids will look at this and say, "Mama, this website looks really, really old!   I can't believe it still exists!"

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#1

I wonder if I'll meet my future husband this year?  Or have I already??  When will he come to me... and how long will it take us to realize we're meant to be?

#2

What kind of cake should I do this year?  I've already had all my favorites at least twice, if not three or four times for all my previous birthdays.

#3

I will now officially be older or as-old-as all of my current female protagonists.  I've still got some male protagonists who surpass me, but not for long.

#4

I should really go through my clothes and evaluate which ones I want to keep.  Some of them I've probably had since I was sixteen.  0_0

#5

I wonder when that 20's-ish "I-suddenly-understand-everything" feeling will start to kick in.   According to the reading I've done, some serious mental development occurs in this next decade for me.   Wonder what that will feel like.

#6

I need to find some college-age events to go to or something.  I'm still hanging out with young teens, which is fine, but it would be nice to get to know some people my age or older.  Especially thinking back to #1 up there....  after all, it's not like Sir Right is just gonna tap on my window sill and say hi.

"What light from yonder window doth break?  It is her lamp, and it's burning my eyes like the sun..."

#7

When I think of it, I can't actually see much changing this year for me.  Barring any unforeseen tragedy, I'll probably pretty much as I've always been.  

#8

I should really, REALLY finish Rise of Ralienah this year.  It's about time!

#9

It seems my twelve-year-old self forgot to write a note for me on my twentieth birthday.  She wrote notes for my older teen-aged self, but somehow she neglected me.  >:(

#10

Maybe that's for the best.  If twelve year old me had known that I would cut our hair and start listening to 80's rock music, she might not have wanted to speak to me anyway.  

But you know, that all started with her.  I was probably twelve years old when I first picked up a mild interest in 70's Christian Rock, so that's what softened me up.  As for the hair, it was time for a cut anyway.  Too heavy to deal with anymore!

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And there we have it!  On Monday, I'll wake up in a new chapter of my life.  So long, teen-aged years.  I had a great time.  ^_^

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-Emmarayn Redding

Drawings and Scetches

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Hello, my readers!  I'm back from yet another one of my long inexcusable absences.  :)

Today I couldn't think of anything interesting to write (wait, did I say that out loud?), so I'm uploading some of my latest artwork to show you!  It's been  a while, so we were due for an art post anyway.

Hope you enjoy the show!  

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First up, we have concept art for a future fairy tale book  (not the one that's coming out soon).  This particular fairy tale will be called "Three Crows in Castlewood".  More than that, I cannot say at this time.

And here we have a piece I've actually uploaded before:  a sketch dump of Draco Malfoy's son, Scorpius Malfoy.  This a better version, as the first time I uploaded it, it was just a photo.  Now, though, with the release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, I thought it would be fun to revisit this piece.  Looking back on my fanfiction for him all those months ago, I was acutally correct about several elements of his character and family:  including, notably, that his mother Astoria was a sickly woman who struggled to keep her strength up.  :)

This one is a project that just sort of happened one night when I was really bored.  A departure from my usual style, I tried incorporating elements of cubism.

This one is concept art for a character of mine from a book called "Spellbreaker", which explores the idea of an unwanted stepsister with a knack for spotting loopholes in classical fairy tale spells.

This one is one of my few successful facial studies drawn without a reference.  Completed just last night after about an hour and a half of work, this is my latest piece.  :)

Now the last three drawings are all concept art for a new story I've got in the works currently titled "By Any Other Name".  I'm still in the process of finishing the plot, but even in these very early stages, the characters have really jumped out at me.  I'll talk more about this idea at another time.  :)

Most of these words have been blurred out so as to avoid serious spoilers... ;)

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Thanks so much for joining me today!  I hope you enjoyed this artwork.  Let me know what yo think in the comments!  

-Emmarayn Redding

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(Images property of Emmarayn Redding.  May not be used without written permission from the artist)