Top Ten Stories that Disappointed Me

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Note:  This is not one of them.

There are many, many stories out there- books, movies, tv shows, comics, oral tradition, and even songs!  I am a lover of stories, as you all know.  I eat them up and rarely ever get tired of it.  And there are so many wonderful stories out there, it's sometimes hard to pick a favorite (though Tolkien wins most of the time).

Still, for every good story out there, there are three or four bad ones.  Usually I avoid coming across such stories by putting a little research in before I dive headfirst into it.  But every now and then, anybody who loves a good story will be blindsided by a disappointing ending.

The following is a list of the stories that stand out to me as being the most disappointing ones I've ever experienced.  Keep in mind that not all of them are bad, so to say, just disappointing.  Some of them are meant to be that way, and others just fell flat.  Most of these I actually still enjoy, which makes it even more heartbreaking to me when they fail to meet my expectations.  

Some of you may disagree with me, and others may want to cry with me.  Whatever the case, I submit for your entertainment...

THE TOP TEN STORIES THAT DISAPPOINTED ME

(MAJOR Spoilers Abound!)

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10: Once Upon A Time

The popular television show Once Upon a Time started out with great potential, and lived up to it for the first season.  It was a very interesting twist on all of our favorite fairy tales, their characters now trapped in the modern world as the result of a curse cast by the Evil Queen.  It was interwoven with flashbacks explaining the character's back stories, which weren't always what you might expect.

However, after season two, it started going donwhill, fast.  It seemed like the writers had no clear idea of where they wanted to go.  Character development was established, then erased, then grown back once more.  Back stories came into conflict with each other as more and more events were crammed into the "past" in order to explain the new story lines developing in the present times.  Then when Elsa and Anna showed up, it just fell flat on it's face.  I have to admit, I burst out laughing hard Elsa first showed up, shouting "Too Soon!"

The show hasn't ended yet, but I've stopped watching.  I can't take the stupidity anymore.  My apologies to the writers- I mean you no offense, it just isn't working for me.  *shrug*

9:  The Princess Curse

I've reviewed The Princess Curse before, and it was one of my few negative reviews.  This book is a fascinating mix of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, Beauty & the Beast, and Hades & Persephone.  It had a lot of potential to be really cool, but it left me feeling rather disappointed by the end.  The beginning was interesting, but once the middle hit it got pretty slow.  There was no chemistry in the romance, which was silly anyway since the girl was only 12 or 13 years old, and her "love interest" was an adult man.  Possibly even more than that,  since he's implied to be immortal.  Even he admitted it was weird in the book.  In the end, they don't even end up together (whew!), and the conflict of the dying underworld is never fully solved.

8:  The Inheritance Cycle

Now, I actually really like Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle.  It's what helped be believe that I too could become an author at my age.  But what disappointed me about this series was the main character, Eragon's romance.  All four books were building up for some super awesome interracial romance between him and Arya, an elf.  She had already lost a love, and he was much younger than her elven years,  But there was still an undeniable spark between them... or so we thought.  When the final book came to an end, they decided that it was better for them to stay apart.  That's right!  Everything that's happened between us has been for nothing!  Goodbye!

I don't know... maybe they'll get together in another hundred years or so.  Still, after all that romantic build up, I would have loved to see a wedding.  :(

7:  Romeo x Juliet

Juliet Fiamata Ars de Capulet is the last heir to the Capulet throne after her family is brutally murdered by Leontes de Montague, who then takes over the kingdom of Neo Verona, a floating island in the sky.  After years of disguising herself as a boy, Juliet and her followers are ready to take back her kindom and free the people from the cruel reign of Montague.  There's only one problem- Juliet has fallen in love with Romeo, Montague's tenderhearted son.

Okay, I think that everybody knows the ending of Romeo and Juliet- they both die.  So that's a given when you watch any retelling of the tale.  However, in this beautifully animated anime, they repeatedly teased you with the idea that maybe, just maybe they could survive and have a happy ending somewhere safe in the countryside. Unfortunately, the plot couldn't handle this idea.  In the end, they introduced the magical element Escalus, the mystical tree that keeps the island of Neo Verona floating in the sky.  Apparently it has to be kept alive through the sacrifice of female Capulet blood- and when it starts to die near the end of the show, Juliet knows she must sacrifice herself to save her world.  Romeo refuses to accept it as the only way and dies trying to save her from her fate, and then she sacrifices herself anyway!  She and Romeo are "together in death", and all of her loyal friends and followers are left to mourn her death and figure out a new form of government.

6:  Merlin

In this fresh look at Camelot, Merlin is a young man who is forced to hide his magical powers in a world where magic is scorned and feared.  He is a servant of Prince Arthur, an arrogant but well-meaning pig of a hero.   For five seasons, we are teased with the promise of Albion, a Utopian world where magical folk live in harmony with the rest of the world, free of persecution.  It is said that together, Merlin and Arthur will usher in this new age for the good of all.  Unfortunately, when the end of season five rolled around, Merlin unintentionally set events in motion that would destroy all of his hopes.  Arthur dies too soon, Merlin reveals his magic too late, the kingdom is damaged, and the promise of Albion is all for naught.

I actually really like this show, and I still rewatch it from time to time, but that ending... oi.  What a downer!

5:  Robin Hood (2006)

This anachronistic retelling of Robin Hood is fun and exciting.  It is loosely based on the old legends, but with many, many differences, one of the main ones being that Marion is caught up in a love triangle between Robin and Guy of Gisbourne. 

I really liked this show... until the end of season two.  There are many, many things you can do with a Robin Hood story, but killing Marion off midway through the story is not one of them.  After that, season three wasn't nearly as interesting.  Without Marion, all the life was gone from the show... and her replacement, Kate, was an atrocity.  There were still some good moments, but overall, it lost it's appeal.  And then the final episode came around and all my favorite characters died.  :(

4:  A Curse as Dark as Gold

This is another book that I've reviewed here.  A riveting retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin story, this book was masterfully written and incredibly engaging.  It was not, however a fairy tale- but more of a ghost story.   It was creepy and had me on the edge of my seat.

Unfortunately, the ghosts and magic in this story came too close to the real life witchcraft in our world.  It had a dark, tainted feeling, and left me feeling uncomfortable.  I wanted to love that book, but I just couldn't tolerate the spiritual elements.  It was too real- and in that godless world, it made me feel that there was no way to combat the intense spiritual darkness.  I did finish the book, but I wouldn't recommend it to any of my readers.

3:  The Ram

This little known French fairy tale is like a combination of Snow White and Beauty and the Beast, but significantly darker.  When the princess is sent out to the woods to be killed, the huntsman lets her go, but he still needs a tongue and a heart to bring back to the king as proof of her death.  Now the princess has with her a little dog, a little monkey, and a little Moorish servant girl- all of whom end up committing suicide to provide the necessary body parts.  0_0

Then the princess flees and meets her true love- a prince trapped in the form of a ram.  If she stays with him for a certain amount of time and remains faithful, he will return to his human form and they can be married.

Unfortunately, when the princess hears word of her sister's wedding, she wants to go and attend the ceremony.  The ram gives his consent on the condition that she return to him by sunset.  Once at the palace, the princess finds out that her father wants to reconcile with her, and she gets so caught up in the celebration that she forgets her promise.  

The next morning, the guards find the ram dead at the gates, having sat waiting for the princess all night in the rain.

2:  Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

In this Asian fairy tale, martial artists can fly and one sword can defeat all others.  A headstrong young girl seeks to become the most powerful warrior in the land, no matter how many lives she destroys in the process.  Her two heroes, a man and a woman team, try to stop her from continuing on her reckless path, but in return she ruins their lives as well, and in the end, receives no comeuppance for her misdeeds.  

I really enjoyed the way this movie was filmed.  The scenery and costumes were beautiful, and the fight scenes were great, if a little violent at times.  The way that they had the warriors fly was very interesting, and is just how I've always imagined flying to be in my dreams.  But the ending just made me feel ill with disappointment.

Of course, that's the style of this kind of story, so it's not a failure on the writer's part- in fact, they succeeded very well.

1:  The Legend of Korra (Book 4)

The sequel series to Avatar: The Last Airbender exceeded my expectations in Book 1, and totally earned my respect.  Then season two came along with all of its Eastern Theology and weirdness and I stopped watching for a while.  But then season three arrived and won me back.  Season four was really cool, and I loved it until--

the last minute in a half, where it was heavily implied that Korra and Asami, two of my favorite characters, were in fact bisexual and in love.  

Now I know the rest of the world applauds this and calls the series brilliant for being the first animated children's show to promote homosexuality, but I as a Christian cannot condone this.  Regardless of the world's insistance that it is right, God says that homosexuality is a sin, and I will abide by His law.  Understand that I do not hate homosexuals or bisexuals (I have some friends who identify as such), but I do not approve of their lifestyle.  

Not to mention, from a writer's point of view, this came out of no where.  Asami and Korra were best friends, and it was not in their personalities to make the change that they did.  There were other characters who would have been far more believable love interests for them, and it seemed like that was what the writers were working up to.  The ending that they chose seemed to me like a shameless move to gain the political approval of the nation, rather than an act faithful to the story and the world in which it was set.  

Too bad, I really did like that show until the end.  And I will forever love the first season, regardless.

Honorable Menions:

The Sons of Hurin

North and South (1985)

Aldarion and Erendis

Queen's Arrow

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So what do you think?  Agree?  Disagree?  What stories disappointed you most (regardless of whether you actually like them)?  Share your thoughts in the comments below.  I look forward to hearing from you!

-Emmarayn Redding

(DISCLAIMER:  I do not own any of the images used within this post.  All credit for the images goes to their proper owners with my thanks.)

Goat Trek: Episode II

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Last time, on Goat Trek, Butterscotch the Goat escaped her pen, taking her two kids, Little Boy and Little Girl with her.  After a mile-long trek, Emma and her siblings, Nani and Jedi, were just about ready to give up hope.  But when Emma gave a stunningly corny Speech of Hope, they spotted the renegade goats and gave chase.

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Breathing steadily, I jogged over the jagged clumps of dirt, keeping just distance between Butterscotch and myself to allow the cantankerous goat to feel confident.  However, the gap between them and the shelter belt was closing quickly, and I could already tell that my dad, Bree, and the rest of the kids wouldn't arrive in time.

By now, Butterscotch had reached the edge of the shelter belt.  She paused, scanning the treeline,  apparently trying to evaluate whether she should risk recapture, or plunge into the depths of the snowy brambles.   

Afraid of driving her into the trees, I stopped short and signaled for Nani to stop as well.  I motioned for Jedi to continue on to the east side of the trees in order to keep watch.  

The rebellious quadrupeds had, by this time, noticed our approach and abandoned all uncertainty, diving into the tangled wood.
By this time, the rest of my family had arrived.  Under the direction of  my father, we spread out, moving swiftly and silently into the forest.

And by swiftly and silently... I mean loudly and clumbsily on my part.  Being five feet eleven inches does not make ducking under thorn branches and sliding under logs very easy.  Every step seemed like I might poke my eye out or snag my hair on some vindictive twig.
Now, I like to consider myself adept at walking through the woods.  As a child I would spend hours running along the paths beneath the leaves, pretending I was a Narnian Dryad, or a Sylvan woodelf from Mirkwood.  I could slip under bough and over log as lightly as a young deer....
But not these trees.  One did could not simply run through these trees.  Too many poky, snarly wicked, thorny branches that seemed to reach out and catch hold of my coat like desperate, grabbing fingers.  That dreadful scene from Snow White comes to mind.
But I was not to be daunted!  Never let it be said that I had been beaten by a couple of ungrateful goats and a hostile clump of trees!
I straightened up- as much as the branches would allow- and took a deep breath, ready to charge forward and find my quarry....
And suddenly my phone rang, startling me into a frantic search through my large, ripped up coat pockets.
After managing to get my rather unresponsive touch screen to actually work, I answered to find my dad on the other end, informing me that the rest of the family was in position and that we were free to start sweeping the woods.  I quickly agreed and hung up so we could get to business.
Just one sweep through this woods and those goats will be out for sure!  I thought.  Right?

Wrong.

You see, goats are not like deer.  When you're out hunting and the deer refuse to get in range of your gun, its often helpful to send some of your minions- excuse me, siblings- through the trees to push the deer out.  As soon as the deer break through the underbrush and run out on the open field, shooting them is much easier.
But a goat is smarter.  When a goat hears you clomping through the trees and muttering insults to various offending trees, they don't run.  They just sit there, like rocks, waiting for you to walk by.  Then, once you've passed, they sneak over to another hiding place so that you can't find them.
One sweep, my foot.
I don't know how many times we combed that little shelter belt, but we found no sign of the missing goats.  Yet our lookouts on the outside swore they hadn't come out of the trees since they arrived.  So we kept searching, and pushing, scrambling over logs and under brambles.
Finally, I emerged from the shelterbelt to find Nani, Jedi, my dad, and Bree puzzling over where the goats possibly could have gone.  It was as if they'd vanished into thin air.

But just when we were about to give up, we heard it- a shout!  They'd been found!
Spurred on by this breakthrough, we raced together to the other side of the shelterbelt and found them huddled down in the tall grass... exactly where they'd entered in the first place.
Cue the facepalm.
After some maneuvering, we managed to get Butterscotch into a halter and had to literally drag her to our giant red van, fondly known as Perry the Cherry.  Her babies, Little Boy and Little Girl, did not protest overmuch when we took them to follow their mother.

I volunteered to sit in the back with the goats as we drove home, just to make sure there was no more trouble.
And let me tell you, until you have ridden in the back of a van with a large, cantankerous mother goat with horns inches away from your face, you cannot know what this feels like.
Those peculiar, rectangle pupils staring at me unblinking... as if she knew.... it would be so easy!
Swallowing my apprehension, I settled down with Little Girl on my lap, hoping that might deter Butterscotch from goring me too hard.  And I spent the rest of the ride singing Celtic songs to them.

Siúil, siúil, siúil a rún

Siúil go sochair agus siúil go ciúin

Siúil go doras agus éalaigh liom...

And so we made it safely home- the goats no worse for wear, and myself and my family.... only slightly worse for wear.  And inside there was warm blankets, and pantry full of delicious rewards for a job well done.

And the moral of the story is...

An adventure waits around the corner, when you least expect it.  All you have to do... is see it!

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THE END

-Emmarayn Redding

(DISCLAIMER:  I do not own the picture used in the post.  It is taken from the public domain.)

Updates on The Madman of Elkriahl

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The manuscript for The Madman of Elkriahl (and Other Fairy Tales), ready to be sent off for copyrighting.  On the right is an illustration from the title story.

Hello, fair readers!  Fear not, Goat Trek: Episode II is up next.  :D  But before that, I wanted to give you an update on the progress of my next book, The Madman of Elkriahl.  

Since the post where I first introduced the story, I have made the decision to include three shorter fairy tales I've written in the final publication.  The new titles are...

The Fairy King

Dilmond Garp and the Wibberwon Gamby

Stoneheart

I've always loved fairy tales, but I became fascinated with them about three years ago, when I came to appreciate them on a more mature level.  I can't quite explain what it is about these short simple stories that has captured my attention, other than the fact that they are anything but simple.  There is something so interesting and thrilling underneath the surface, a kind of art that I have only recently come to understand.  

Many fairy tales are dark and mysterious, some are frightening and horrible, and others are surprisingly romantic and thoughtful.  I wanted to create my own stories with that same classical feel- and the stories presented here are my best effort at exactly that.  

Though I can't release any excerpts yet, I have included some of the illustrations to give you feel for the book.  Enjoy!

From  The Fairy King, colored pencil

From Stoneheart, watercolor

There you have it.  There is much more to see- so make sure to check for updates in the future.  I'm hoping to have this published soon, though as of yet I have no release date.  Prayer is appreciated, as God's help is crucial in this project.  :D   Thanks so much for your support!

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-Emmarayn Redding

Goat Trek

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NOTE:  These are not the actual goats involved.  Rather, they are Lithuanian goats who won a contest for being the most beautiful.  They are, however, very similar to the goats in this story.

The following story is true.  The character's names have been modified slightly, however, they all exist just as they are portrayed here.

Mostly.

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We rolled into the long, shaded driveway of our peaceful farm.  It was early spring, and the snow still covered the ground in a damp, slushy blanket.  The barren branches of the cotton wood trees dripped overhead, and somewhere in the lonesome shelterbelts, the chickadees were singing.

I can't remember the exact circumstances that had my parents, six siblings and I away from home that morning.  Perhaps it was church, or perhaps it we had been performing a country gospel concert somewhere.  Either way, when we returned home that day, Something told us to check our new goats.

We'd had goats before.  We once had a herd of nine, but a mysterious illness wiped out most of them.  Now we had one faithful goat left, and I believe her name is Taffy.  But since all our goats looked the same, I couldn't say for sure.

Anyway, back to the new goats-  we had just purchased a mother goat and her two babies, who happened to be part fainting goat.  The mother was named Butterscotch for her creamy colored hair, and her babies were named- oh dear, I can't remember.  I'll call them Little Boy and Little Girl, because that's what I end up calling them when I go out to milk.

On this particular day, some of the family went out to check on these new goats, while I retired indoors for a bit of rest and writing time.  However, my relaxation was not to be.

"The goats got out!  We need everybody's help!"  came the cry.  Reluctantly, I pulled myself away from my own activities and slipped on a pair of boots and a coat.   Well, don't fret, it will only take a few minutes, I thought.

But when I got outside, I learned the truth.  The goats weren't just out- they were gone.  Far away, who-knows-where.  And of course there was no way of knowing how long they'd been out, or how far they'd gotten.  There was only one thing to do:  scour the open countryside until we found them.

My sister Bree, the next eldest after me, went with my dad to the west.  My mother took some of the younger children to look in the pasture surrounding our barn.  Then I took my sister Nani, (the third eldest) and my brother Jedi (yes that's actually what we call him.  He's the fourth born.)  Together we set off toward the north, along the long shelter belt that stretched until the next road, nearly a mile away.

Across the fields we trekked, searching for any sign of a hoof print, straining our ears for any sound of a bray or snort.   It was cold.  The wind whipped through my hair, and our voice echoed over the flat expanse of the Dakota prairies.  

"BUTTERSCOTCH!!!"

"GOATIES!!!"

"FOOOD!!!!"  (cue the rattle of a feed bucket)

At last, after following several dead end trails of goat tracks, Nani, Jedi and I reached the end of the shelterbelt, no closer to finding the elusive goats than before.  

Of course by this time, my younger siblings were tired.  It had been a long day before, and now our rest had been inturrupted.
Nani sighed and flopped to her knees.  "That goat is so stupid!  I can't believe she did this.  "
I paused, turning back to look at my siblings.  "Oh, come on now, Nani!  It's not that bad."
Jedi shrugged.  "I'm gonna go check the other side of the shelter belt."
As he moved off to the south, I scanned the horizons.  Nani continued listing the disadvantages of the situation.  "My feet are killing me.  These boots aren't even the right size."
"Then why did you wear them?"
"I don't know.  They were just the first ones I grabbed."  She paused.  "Who knows how far away those stupid things could be by now?"
I shrugged and chuckled.  To tell the truth, I was actually enjoying myself.  Although my feet were also killing me, it was a rather lovely day, despite the gray fog hanging over the land.
"You know, if this were a movie, this would the time when some character delivered some sort of Hope Speech.  And then right after that, they would probably find what they were looking for."
Nani was silent.  After a moment of consideration, I took a deep breath.
"I know this looks grim.  I know you're tired, and I know how for we've walked.  But you can't give up hope!  Whatever happens, we can't give up hope"
Nani glared at me, but I could see the hints of a smile on her lips.  She rolled her eyes as if to say "I can't believe you're actually doing this."
  Staying faithfully in character, I continued.  "There may be a day when we abandon these foolish creatures to their own devices, but it will not be this day!  Time is running out; the daylight will soon leave.  Already I see the sun sinking in the sky.  That is why we must carry on, and never, never give up until we have found those animals under our protection.  Until then, Hope is all we have!"
I straightened my shoulders in a strong, resolved sort of way.  Standing with one  foot on the roadside, I mimicked Legolas staring out into the distance.  My vision, though not horrid, was from the perfect sight of the elves, but I was determined to try.  Suddenly, a slight movement caught my attention.  Leaning forward, I squinted.
The feed bucket dropped from my grasp.  I gasped.  "I see them,"  I said quietly.
No response came from the others.  "You guys, I see them!"  I said again, turning impatiently.
Nani got up, suddenly interested.  "Really? I thought that was part of your speech."
"No, I really do!   Look!"
Pointing across the fields, I directed her to the blurred shape of Butterscotch and her two babies, walking steady north-east, toward a thick shelter belt.
Nani gaped, and Jedi came rushing over, his hunter's instincts awakened.
My hands shaking from excitement, I quickly pulled out my cell phone and dialed my dad.
"Hello?"  came his voice, sounding faint in the noise of the wind.
"Daddy, it's me, Emma."
"Yes?"
"I found them!  They're on in the field just after Hjelmer's old place!  They're heading north, quickly.  We need to head them off before they reached the next shelter belt!"
I could hear the sound of his breathing through the speaker.  "Okay, keep them in your sights, but don't get to close.  I don't want them running."
"Okay will do."
"Good.  I'll be right there with Bree and the others."
I hung up and stuck my phone back in the pocket of my coat.  Quietly, I jogged forward onto the road and down into the next field.
"Jedi!  Run to the east a ways and get on the other side of those goats, but don't get too close to them.  Try not to let them see you.  Nani, you stay were you are, right behind them.  I'll keep to the west, and we'll proceed in the V formation.   Whatever we do, we don't want them to get into that shelter belt!"
With that, we set forward, jogging as smoothly and silently as we could. I could see our car approaching in the distance, but Butterscotch was moving quickly.  Would the reinforcements arrive in time?

Find out next time in Goat Trek:  Episode II !

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-Emmarayn Redding