2,500 Page Views!

1,000 page views

2,500 page views

5,000 page views

Oh, hey. So, I woke up today and realized that I've just gotten 2,500 page views overnight! Hooray! It's been roughly two months since my blog was set up and six weeks since I achieved 1,000 page views. 

Another milestone achieved for this blog, which means my blog is going well. 2,500 is definitely a larger number than 1,000. If there are anyone here who knows how to decorate blogs, can you hit me up in the comments below? I'd like to know how to program blogs in a "customized" way through HTML formatting.

As for a wider scope of blog promoting... I have Facebook only. So, I might think about setting up a Twitter or probably even go on Reddit. This blog is still small and basic, but I plan to make it bigger and better.

Anyway, my finals are coming up in two weeks, but that doesn't mean I will stop posting. Ah, also, the DKLS Essay Writing Competition's results are revealed on the 9th of October. Big things are going to be revealed early next month, so I best prepare myself.

That's all I'm writing for today. Thank you guys for visiting/following my blog. See you next post! ;)

List of Book Reviews

This is the list of all my book reviews. I will periodically update this for books I'm reading that I'll review in the future. Click on the hyperlinks to go to my respective book reviews. Book titles that do not have any links attached are upcoming reviews.

1. The Lost Hero, by Rick Riordan
2. Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer
3. New Moon, by Stephenie Meyer
4. The Son of Neptune, by Rick Riordan
5. Empire of Storms, by Sarah J. Maas
6. Eclipse, by Stephenie Meyer
7. The Mark of Athena, by Rick Riordan

Got "Empire of Storms"!

Hey, guys! I'm writing this one today to tell you that after more than two weeks of waiting, I finally have Empire of Storms. Yay! It's a whopping 693 pages, which means I can enjoy this book for a long time, say if I don't read too fast that is.

Let me show you a picture of the book. ^_^

Now that's one cover!

And now that I have the book, there's going to be more of Aelin's badass fire-breathing bitch-queen action, Rowan's annoying-but-totally-worth-it ear-nibbling, Manon's debating of whether monsters are made or created, and all the other stuff! Hail Terrasen and House Galathynius and Aelin's court!
If you'll excuse me, I'm going to isolate myself from the world and read this book.

"New Moon" Review

Good day, guys! (Actually, not a good day, because it's two weeks and Empire of Storms STILL isn't out! *tantrums*) So, today, I shall be reviewing Stephenie Meyer's New Moon, the sequel to Twilight, which I had reviewed weeks ago.

BEWARE! SPOILERS BELOW!

IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO BE SPOILED, DO NOT READ MORE

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED 

Emilia Mysticalia — The Matriarch

Nooooooo, holidays are over! ;-; Well, let me settle the final day in this character introduction week and then sulk on the Monday Blues.

Details
FULL NAME: Emilia Mysticalia
GENDER: Female
AGE: 43 (19 in Tale of Two Sisters (TOTS) )
BIRTHDAY: Day 9, Month of Happiness (Month 4)
RACE: Witch
PLACE OF BIRTH: Mysticalia Residence, Vathys Village
HOME: Vathys Ruins
FATHER: Cecil Noblese (deceased)
MOTHER: Euphemia Mysticalia (deceased)
RELATIVES: Esther, Eunice, Esmeralda, Evelyn, Elisabeth, Eleanor (sisters)
HAIR: Dark cherry
EYE: Quartz
HANDEDNESS: Right
WEAPON: None
MAGIC: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Lightning, Healing, Love, Gravity (major), Light, Dark

Description
Being the eldest, Emilia is the matriarch of the Mysticalia familia. She has medium-length hair. Her dark cherry shade her most outstanding feature. She has quartz upturned eyes, a button nose, and natural lips.

Personality
Emilia is almost always seen serious and in deep thoughts. She is continually bothered with something, but she doesn't tell any of her sisters. Her sisters, Esther especially, tries to lift her mood up, though it doesn't usually work. However, she feigns a smile or a positive dismissal in fear of hurting her sisters' hearts.

Emilia cares about each and every one of her sisters. As the head of the familia, she doesn't take rule-breaking nor irresponsibility lightly. She will never turn her back on any of them, or else, she will feel incredibly guilt-ridden and blame things on herself. She takes achieving her goals diligently and will persevere through anything.

She doesn't mind Eleanor's constant teasing and chummy attitude even though they bug her. In fact, no matter what she does, Emilia will never genuinely hate her. Emilia is a tad bit jealous of Eleanor's positive behavior despite what had transpired when they were adolescent. This is because she, too, used to have one, but she has lost it ever since.

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And that concludes character introduction week. Tomorrow's school and I'll probably be beat after coming home around 3pm. I might write my review on New Moon tomorrow, and if not, the day after. In the meantime, when in the world will Empire of Storms be distributed to my local bookstore?!
What do you think of Emilia? Let me know in the comments below!

Eleanor Mysticalia — The Seventh Sibling

It's Saturday! Which I'm not sure why I'm happy about since there are only two more days before I return to school... Anyway, Eleanor is a side character in the first book. BUT! She's one of the two main characters in the prequel novella, so I chose to introduce her, too.

Details
FULL NAME: Eleanor Mysticalia
ALIAS: Eleanor Monica
GENDER: Female
AGE: 38 (14 in Tale of Two Sisters (TOTS) )
BIRTHDAY: Day 30, Month of Appreciating (Month 3)
RACE: Witch
PLACE OF BIRTH: Mysticalia Residence, Vathys Village
HOME: Rosilland Village
FATHER: Cecil Noblese (deceased)
MOTHER: Euphemia Mysticalia (deceased)
RELATIVES:  Emilia, Esther, Eunice, Esmeralda, Evelyn, Elisabeth (sisters)
CHILDREN: Cassandra Monica (adoptive daughter)
HAIR: Hazel brown
EYE: Amethyst
HANDEDNESS: Right
WEAPON: None
MAGIC: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Lightning, Healing, Love, Gravity, Light (major), Dark

Description
Eleanor is the seventh and last sibling of the Mysticalia familia. She has long hazel brown hair reaching about halfway through her back. She has amethyst upturned eyes, a button nose, and pointed lips. She is usually seen wearing clothes of black and/or white.

Personality
Eleanor is overall friendly and compassionate. Despite being a witch (to which she has to conceal her identity in a human settlement), she has considerable social skills—similarly to her sister, Emilia. She is also aware if she had said something wrong and will try to set things right. She is also highly sympathetic and quite both charitable and hospitable.

Adoptive mother or no, Eleanor takes her responsibility in caring Cassie as her top priority. She has a balance between strict and lenient—but usually the latter. She understands Cassie's wishes and dreams and will never stand in her way. Instead, she will help her achieve the possibility. However, she is concerned with Cassie's safety, disappointing or hurting her whenever she injures or gets herself in trouble.

Eleanor also has a sense of humor—particularly with Emilia, in contrast with her seriousness and continuous brooding. She cares for Emilia the most and she used to be chummy with her. She genuinely holds a dislike toward all her sisters, but she does not hold any grudges. In fact, she wishes their best wherever they are. But she hopes that Cassie doesn't cross paths with them.

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That's all about Eleanor Mysticalia, or Monica (whatever). Tomorrow will be the final day of the character introduction week. I will be introducing the second main character of TOTS, Emilia Mysticalia. Tune in for tomorrow!
What do you think of Eleanor? Let me know in the comments below!

Dyven-Mazak — The Stoic Unshakable Ogre

Happy Friday, guys! I've just recently finished reading New Moon and I'm going to post a review of it soon. One thing's to say, though: the first book is actually better. Anyway, I'll get on with today's character introduction.

Details
FULL NAME: Dyven-Mazak (daɪvən məzʌkˈ; dai-vuhn muh-ZAHK)
GENDER: Male
AGE: 56 (considered young adult for ogres)
BIRTHDAY: Day 29, Month of Honoring (Month 8)
RACE: Ogre
PLACE OF BIRTH: West Forests
HOME: An ogre settlement near the Enchanted Oak Tree
FATHER: Mazak-Swadj (məzʌkˈ sʊʤ; muh-ZAHK sooj)
MOTHER: Knarra-Twask (deceased) (nɑrɑ tʊsk; na-ra toosk)
RELATIVES: Multiple unnamed ogre relatives
HAIR: None (bald)
EYE: Gray
HANDEDNESS: Right
WEAPON: None (brute strength)
MAGIC: None

Description
Dyven is muscular and stands past 10 feet tall. He has gray protruding eyes and a large round nose. His skin is a tad bluish. He is usually seen without a shirt, his pants ripped into shorts, and is barefooted.

Personality
Dyven is extremely silent and prefers not to talk to any of Cassie's friends nor Cassie herself. He also harbors grudges and is above against anything that disrupts peace—which includes the erecting of Jeremiah's Wall. Being a follower of Akinitos, the Earth Celestial, he is conditioned to be stoical. Most insults and snide remarks flow right past him.

As asocial as he may be, he can be straightforward and blunt with his opinions. He cares not for what his remarks may hurt toward his fellow speaker. However, he has a soft side for people whom he cares about a lot and becomes loyal to them. Even so, his trust is difficult to earn and once damaged, could be fatal.

Dyven's huge muscles aren't for show and tell—his ogre strength allows him to lift heavy objects such as boulders and trees and hurl them toward his enemies (and, of course, the old punch in the face). He can be arrogant as well; his dignity and pride are very high. Hmm, I wonder why he doesn't use a club... not that the other ogres don't use clubs either...

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And that's it about Dyven-Mazak. He's actually the last member of Cassie's group. So, tomorrow, I shall be introducing one major side character: Cassie's (adoptive) mom! Look forward to tomorrow's post!
What do you think about Dyven-Mazak? Let me know in the comments below!

Melissa Trixton — The Timid Virtuous Recluse

Good Thursday to you! Nothing much to say other than that I have only four more days of holiday. Four more days of massive writing before my finals. Ugh.

Details
FULL NAME: Melissa Trixton
ALIAS: Lissa
GENDER: Female
AGE: 17
BIRTHDAY: Day 6, Month of Thanking (Month 11)
RACE: Impure Human/Seriquan
PLACE OF BIRTH: Rosilland Village
HOME: Rosilland Village
FATHER: Unknown
MOTHER: Margaretta Trixton
RELATIVES: Unknown
HAIR: Black
EYE: Midnight purple
HANDEDNESS: Right
WEAPON: None
MAGIC: None

Description
Melissa is Cassie's closest friend. Average build and height. She has purple downturned eyes, an average oblong nose, and thinner lower lips. Her long black hair flows down her back like waves, curling into spirals at the end. Out of all of Cassie's friends, Melissa is the most fashionable and stylish (mostly because she's the daughter of the village's seamstress).

Personality
Melissa is very shy. The only person she considers her true friend is Cassie. Just like her, she has a heart for adventures, but to a much lesser extent. Her mindset is the complete opposite of Rina's; she looks on the negative side of things (but she doesn't consider herself a pessimist) and keeps her problems to herself. Though, she speaks in a gentle and polite manner and cares for the well-being of her friends.

Despite all that, Melissa has the most concrete judgment in the group. She has an incredible sense of right and wrong, being able to make a conclusion from all perspectives. Her friends look up to her as the moral compass—the one who settles the disputes between everyone. Her perceptiveness also beckons her ability to empathize and understand people—and herself.

Unlike the rest of the group, Melissa doesn't know how to use either weapons or magic. Melissa also lacks the courage to fight nor protect herself, forcing her friends to do so for her. This, however, furthers her guilt of being the "useless one" in the group. Nevertheless, she feels she can be useful in some way, allowing her to continue on. Here's to hope that Melissa is actually quite important.

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That's all about Melissa. Tomorrow will be Dyven-Mazak. That name went through a lot of changes before I could finalize it. u_u Look forward to tomorrow's post!
What do you think about Melissa Trixton? Let me know in the comments below!

Alluriana Hyland — The Cheerful Amnesiac Farm Girl

Happy Wednesday to you, guys! Before I start, I'd like to announce that I've submitted my DKLS essay. It's a big thing, mostly because I can't undo my submitting and improving it anymore. One-time-only chance. Hope I win; fingers crossed!

Details
FULL NAME: Alluriana Hyland
ALIAS: Rina
GENDER: Female
AGE: 16
BIRTHDAY: Day 14, Month of Blooming (Month 2)
RACE: Human/Seriquan
PLACE OF BIRTH: Hedera Village
HOME: Hyland Farm, Hedera Village
FATHER: Bartholomew Hyland
MOTHER: Judith Hyland
RELATIVES: Edmund Hyland (younger brother)
PETS: Rex (dog)
HAIR: Ruby red
EYE: Pear green
HANDEDNESS: Left
WEAPON: Nephele (bow) (nəʔfɛˈli; nuhf-FEH-lee), Arrows, Wind Arrows
MAGIC: Wind

Description
Alluriana is usually shortened to Rina. Thin and slender build. She has pear green hooded eyes and a small nose. Her lower lip is thin. She ties her ruby red hair into a long narrow ponytail reaching as far as her thighs. She slings Nephele and her quiver of arrows over her shoulder to her waist diagonally. Her quiver is divided into two sections, one for her normal arrows, the other for her wind-enchanted ones.

Personality
In short, Rina is bubbly, unpredictable, and too optimistic for her own good. She is easily excitable about almost everything and can will not stop talking. Her smile almost never leaves her face. She's also flirtatious, most notably toward Salmon. Being an optimist, she looks up to the most positive outcomes of everything. She's like the glowing star in the group that never ceases to wane.

However, Rina is highly susceptible to occasional mood swings. She can turn from happy to depressed to fearful and back to hakuna matata in seconds. Her past is a mystery to her and her friends as she has amnesia; she doesn't remember anything before she'd received her Wind powers. Anyone who pushes her into remembering her past will turn her furious.

Being a Wind user, she can direct her Wind arrows into anything—going as far as curving their path. But only her enchanted arrows allow her. (Enchanting them takes quite a while too.) Even so, she is still highly accurate with her normal arrows. On the side note, she almost never takes a battle seriously and is always seen playing around. She's mentoring Cassie on her archery skills and is always amazed by Cassie's transforming Floragne into a bow.

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And that's all about Alluriana. Say, I was just thinking: how about I spare another week (some time in the future) to make posts about each character's major relationships? It may have huge spoilers, though, but the novel's still in works, so... nothing is final. Tomorrow, I shall talk about Melissa, so look forward to it!
Oookay. What do you think about the cheerful Rina? Let me know in the comments below!

Salmon Barry — The Not-So-Knightly Knight (in Training)

Hey, guys! Good Tuesday to you! Nothing much to say about today other than that I'd spent 2 hours of hitting the books. So, let's get down to it.

Details
FULL NAME: Samuel Barry
ALIAS: Salmon, Sam, Sammy, Rookie
GENDER: Male
AGE: 19
BIRTHDAY: Day 24, Month of Friendship (Month 7)
RACE: Pureblood Human/Seriquan
PLACE OF BIRTH: Terram
HOME: Terram, Evrysa (camp)
FATHER: Alexander Barry
MOTHER: Madeleine Barry
RELATIVES: None  
HAIR: Ash  
EYE: Caramel Brown
HANDEDNESS: Right
WEAPON: Divina (rapier)
MAGIC: None

Description
Samuel is bestowed his nickname, "Salmon", by his friends; a name that all his friends call him by and he'd grown quite attached to it. Average build, one head taller than Cassie. He has medium-length wavy ash brown hair and a broad nose. He attaches Divina by its hilt on his buckle, along with several pouches and a flask.

Personality
Despite being a knight-in-training, Salmon is easy-going and takes things lightly. He is usually seen joking around, particularly with Cassie and her "I've-never-been-outside-before" antics. Even so, if things get rough, he'll be extremely cautious. He's also a good planner and has a keen sense of strategies. Despite all that, he can be a bit of a ditz.

Salmon looks out to Cassie, Rina, and Melissa like a big brother. If they get in trouble, he doesn't hesitate to step in for them. He often hears everyone out before speaking on their behalf. Though, being the laid back man he is, he can be sarcastic. As he likes to hear people's thoughts beforehand, he is very prone to eavesdropping.

On the field, Salmon has great swordsmanship, which is the main reason why he's accepted to join the royal guards. He mentors Cassie on her sword techniques, though her sword-morphing business can throw him off-guard. He takes his friends' safety more of a priority than his. And most of the time, he jumps in to save poor naïve Cassie. (A knight in shining armor indeed. *disapproving sigh*)

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And that's about it with Salmon. Next time will be my personal favorite character, Alluriana Hyland. Look forward to the next post tomorrow!
What do you think of Salmon? Let me know in the comments below! (and if you think his nickname is cheesy, 'cause I think it is.)

Cassandra Monica — The Ordinary Adventurous Girl

Hey, guys! Happy Monday! Yesterday, I had bad Internet, so I couldn't write a blog post at all. :( But today, thankfully, I can! I've decided throughout this week, I shall introduce several characters from my novel. And today, I'll start with Cassandra Monica, the protagonist of the story.

Details

FULL NAME: Cassandra Monica
ALIAS: Cassie, Cass
GENDER: Female
AGE: 17 (as of present timeline)
BIRTHDAY: Day 1, Month of Giving (Month 1)
RACE: Human/Seriquan
PLACE OF BIRTH: Unknown
HOME: Rosilland Village
MOTHER: Eleanor Mysticalia (adoptive)
RELATIVES: None/Unknown
HAIR: Light brown
EYE: Crystal blue
HANDEDNESS: Right
WEAPON: Floragne (sword) (flɒrɛgʔni; flohr-ehg-nee)
MAGIC: Craftsman and Fire (most recently)

Description
Cassandra Monica, affectionately nicknamed "Cassie" by Sir Luke Witherwood, to which she used it until today. She has average build and height, deep-set eyes, a round nose, and oval lips. She ties her hair into a single French braid that reaches down her back. She wears a jade bracelet, and later in the story, a ring with a purplish gem gifted from Eleanor. She sheathes her sword into a black scabbard and latches it on her sword belt.

Personality
Cassandra is an adventure-seeking, danger-loving girl like all her other friends in Rosilland. She aspires to become an adventurer and see everything Seriquas has to offer and beyond. She awes at everything she hasn't seen before—even the littlest thing can amaze her. Eleanor had warned her that outside the walls of Seriquas may have dangerous things lurking about. But a little danger won't hurt her. In fact, the more danger, the better.

To her friends, Cassie is quick to trust and is a social butterfly. She plans to meet and greet with every single person she stumbles upon her journey and learn about them. However, through years and years of isolation has made her a tad bit socially awkward. Nevertheless, she tries her best to converse and make friends with strangers as soon as possible. (Gee, didn't Eleanor teach her not to talk to strangers?)

Cassie has an iron will, a determination so strong that fueled not only her strength and perseverance but also her magic. She will never give up in a battle, even if she is the only one left standing. As the leader of her group, she will not let her friends down. However, being the danger-loving girl she is, she also tends to be extremely reckless at times, going as far as picking on opponents not her own size. 

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And that is Cassandra "Cassie" Monica. Tomorrow, I shall write about Salmon Barry, the deuteragonist. Look forward for the next day for the next post!
Anyway, what do you guys think of Cassie? Let me know in the comments below!

Book Fair!

Hey, guys! I'm posting late (again) today because 1) I went outside for the whole day, and 2) This freaking unstable Internet connection is killing me. Anyway, I finally managed to write a blog now (gah, I haven't bathed).

So today, I went to a book fair in Kuala Lumpur, organized by Popular Bookstore (my favorite retail store <3), where they were selling books at RM5. *gasps* Just five! Normally, a book here would cost RM50 at the most. Hooray for 90% discount! Though there was a catch: a customer can only buy 10 books, which tallies to a single novel.

I had a difficult time browsing. There were so many books—and hundreds of books of the same title—that I could choose from. Classics, thrillers, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, they are all there. Even Throne of Glass—HARDCOVER edition! But I didn't buy that, well, I've already a copy of the book. Most of the books were dated at 2013. There weren't any J.K. Rowling, Stephenie Meyer, nor Suzanne Collins though (cri).

I ended up buying six books. Four of them part of a fantasy series, one sci-fi, one thriller (because my mother wanted to read).
1) Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce
2) Wolf-Speaker by Tamora Pierce
3) Emperor Mage by Tamora Pierce
4) The Realm of the Gods by Tamora Pierce
5) Allegiant by Veronica Roth
6) The Bone Tree by Greg Iles

Here they are in a stack

It's late at night now, so I don't think I'll be doing any writing today. I'm also beat from the traveling here and there. Oh yeah, Empire of Storms wasn't there, unfortunately. So I went to my local bookstores—and guess what?—they still don't have it. -_- The anticipation is killing me.

That's all I'm writing today. Have you guys read any of the books above? Please tell me what you think of them down below (please no spoilers). Alright, now if you'll excuse me, I'll take a bath and then moan about not having Empire of Storms. Bye! :)

Rosilland Village — Where It Begins

ROSILLAND VILLAGE

Hey, guys! Happy Friday! Before I start, I sincerely apologize for breaking my promise yesterday. When I wanted to start writing, my dang Internet broke off for the whole night plus throughout today (albeit irregularly) until now. Anyway, I'd like to introduce Rosilland Village, one of the major locations in Seriquas.

Details

Village Head: Darwin

Name Meaning: Land of Roses

Points of Interest: Rosilland Church, the surrounding meadows

Significant Characters: Cassandra Monica, Melissa Trixton, Eleanor Mysticalia

Rosilland Village (rɒz'ɪlænd; RAWHZ-zee-land) is where protagonist Cassandra Monica spends her life before beginning her journey. It is on the southwestern side of Seriquas, surrounded by the skyscraping Lucida Ridge and the nearby West Forests. The village is protected by a six-storey high wall (the only walled village in Seriquas) and a royal guard is always standing at the gate entrance. A single trail connects Rosilland to the rest of the human settlements. Outside the walls, flowery meadows sprawling with mostly roses (hence its name), and other flowers such as dandelions, tulips, marigolds, and the like.

Rosilland's village head is Darwin. The village isn't that large nor is it advanced. Its houses are made of wood and straw and the dirt pathways are lit with lanterns at night. Every morning, a market opens up for residents by the church, its bell tower marking the highest point in the village. Cassandra's house is located at the rightmost side of the village, near the wall. Rosilland is also where Cassandra's mother, Eleanor, and childhood friend, Melissa Trixton, live.

The closest settlement from Rosilland is Hedera Village, which takes roughly twenty hours to reach by foot. The distance from Rosilland to Evrysa is approximately three to five days to reach by foot.

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That's just about it with Rosilland Village. I don't have any idea what or where or whom do I write about, so I'll just write about the first thing that pops into my mind. Until then, see you guys! (Enjoy your Fridays!)

Holidays are Here!

My September school holidays are here! One week full of free time to write my novel and multiple short stories, drawing crappy arts that somehow look good, and blogging, blogging, blogging. Yay! :D

Hopefully, I can make use of this one week I have and be as productive as possible. I'm still deciding what to share on the blog this whole week. I've thought of sharing my characters in the novel, though. And maybe create a list post that links all my book reviews. And maybe a slideshow on the sidebar showcasing my map and all my crappy art.

Or... all of the above!

Anyway, this post is short, yeah. But that's because I'll be writing again at night. ;) Just a little bit of updating every now and then. See you guys tonight!

Introducing the Kingdom of Seriquas

Click to enlarge the image.

Happy hump day, everyone! You've had probably seen this image from Day 3 of the Journal Challenge or on my Google+ profile. In case you haven't figured it out, this is the map for my novel series—the Kingdom of Seriquas.

The Kingdom of Seriquas is the main setting of the Seriquan Magiwarrior series (the name isn't finalized yet). It is a large island with several human settlements and forests galore, plus other biomes. The most notable forest being The Great Forests, which is divided into four regions based on the compass. The castle, also the most prominent location in Seriquas, where the king and queen reign lies in the center of the island, protected by a huge wall. Magic lurks in different areas of the island, causing different climates in certain regions. The capital of Seriquas is the ever-growing town of Evrysa.

I must say, making this map is way harder than it looks. ._. Took me one week to draft, and one week worth of drawing to finish it. I've made the image from scratch with Photoshop CS5. And it went through multiple changes in shape and size until I finalized the design and labeled it. I love how it turned out to be and I can imagine each adventure of my protagonist, Cassandra Monica, experience in every single location.

I might introduce several major locations in Seriquas, at the same time, develop ideas on the locations in my following posts. Oh, by the way, the map is large enough to fit two pages. Ah, if I had an actual graphic designer, this map would be ten times better than it is now, with all the shading and stuff. :)

That'll be all I'm writing today. Thank you for reading my post and don't forget to keep checking back often if I've made a post on the major locations! Tell me what you think of the map down in the comments below.
Here's a game for you guys: find the major location (diamond-marked) where Cassandra starts her journey.

Before I go, allow me to share you the snapshots of how Seriquas was created—the amazing transformation from ugh to wow. ;) Again, click the image to enlarge it.

"The Lost Hero" Review

Mighty fine Tuesday today, everyone! As promised in my post yesterday, I shall write a review for Rick Riordan's The Lost Hero. Beware, spoilers ahead!

I used to love reading up Greek mythology; the legends of each god and titan are amazing. After waiting for three months for the book to arrive after my purchasing the series, I definitely think the wait was worthwhile. Upon reading the chapters in the life of the amnesiac Jason, I was hooked right in. I immediately fell in love with Riordan's writing style.

Child of lightning, beware the earth,

The giants' revenge, the seven shall birth;

The forge and dove shall break the cage,

And death unleash through Hera's rage.

The prophecy for the quest in the book. I can't believe I memorized it. 

Demigods Jason Grace, the son of Jupiter (Zeus), with his "girlfriend" Piper McLean, daughter of Aphrodite, and Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus, embark on a journey to rescue Hera before the winter solstice, which is, shockingly, four days from when the journey starts. Titans, giants, snow goddesses, storm spirits, cyclopes, and even gods themselves stood in their way. Geez, I know Hera can sometimes be a pain but what in the world did she do? :P

I recognized most god names, but I learned more and what they really represent. Not only that, but I also recognized the name differences of each Greek god to their Roman aspects. And some facts about the gods, too, like how Athena and Artemis were virgins. I never loved Greek mythology more than before. I can't wait to begin The Son of Neptune and recognize more gods and goddesses.

There's nothing about this book that I can dislike on. I just loved it. The time when Jason met his long-lost sister, Thalia, and the fact that gods can actually go insane (Aeolus), man. I'm eagerly waiting to read about Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase. And I'm trying to learn of the seven in the Second Great Prophecy while fighting my urge to spoil myself.

No regrets spending a hundred for the series.
I just borrowed New Moon from my English teacher today (yay) and I'll be returning to the life of Bella and Edward. Unfortunately, even though Empire of Storms is released today, it isn't on the shelves of my local bookstores yet. (ugh!)
Note to self: come one week later after book is released so mother does not scold me.

That's the end of my review. Summing it up: this book takes Greek mythology to a whole new level. Have you readers read the book yet? If you did, share what you thought of the first installment of Riordan's Heroes of Olympus series down in the comments below!

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Check out all the other book reviews here!

"Twilight" Review

Happy (ugh) Monday, everyone! This will be my first review as promised yesterday. Beware, spoilers ahead!

One thing's for sure: I never regretted borrowing the book from my English teacher. The story written is so much better than the movie—in fact, I never thought I'd enjoy reading romance! I simply love how developed Bella Swan and Edward Cullen's relationship is throughout the book. Slow and steady, dangerous yet lovey-dovey, human and vampire, pessimism versus indifference... I honestly never thought I'd find myself wanting to stop reading after finishing the first chapter. And that first kiss scene in the woods! >.<

"And so, the lion fell in the love with the lamb."

"What a stupid lamb."

"What a sick, masochistic lion ."

I'll never forget those lines in my lifetime. ._.

Throughout the story, I'd thought that it'll be the development between Bella and Edward until the werewolves start appearing, of course. But when it reached the ball game part, the main antagonist shows himself: James. At first, I couldn't digest the sudden change to a game of hunter and human. It was one minute, a good ole' ball game with vampires in a thunderstorm; the next minute, it's a run for your life. It didn't quite fit...

Anyway, the ending definitely made up for it. Not only were Bella and Edward an item (I didn't imagine it to be so quick!), the whole Cullen family minus Rosalie came to accept Bella into their lives. I could relate with each and every one of the Cullen family and their weird antics. But most of all (and not because it was told in first-person), I could feel the emotions of Bella throughout the story. One who came from sunny Phoenix chose to live in gloomy Forks after initially despising it to be with her soulmate. Simply an awesome read. But I'm probably just reacting like this because it's my first romance novel, boo hoo.

I've already returned the book back to my teacher (moment of sadness), but I'm eagerly waiting for New Moon, which she'll bring tomorrow! Yay! After reading this book, I immediately changed the status for the rest of the series to "Want to Read" on Goodreads, heh.

Digression: I've finished The Lost Hero just today, so I'll write a review for it tomorrow! Also for tomorrow, Empire of Storms is out. Woooooooooo!

Alright, guys, that's all from me today. Thank you for reading this post. If you'd read Twilight, tell me what you think of it down in the comments below!

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Check out all the other book reviews here!

Writing & Reading Preferences

Hi there. Happy Sunday to you readers. How are you?

I haven't gotten the time to write for yesterday nor the day before, my apologies. But today, I have the time, so today, I'd like to tell you guys what I like to read and write. Before that, my essay for the DKLS Essay Writing Competition is going well. What I thought was the worst essay I've ever written turned out to be not so bad at all. ^_^

credits to quincypublicschools.com
for the image.

Anyway, I like to read long books—novels and epics especially. The longer the better! I prefer those big fat stacks of more than 400 pages. I also like reading series... which is why my favorites are all series. (heh) The genres I read are fantasy (because I write in fantasy), young adult fiction, sci-fi (sometimes and depends), and dystopia—mostly. But I do read other genres. But no horror please; my mind is too fragile to take it. (I even get scared by reading! smh)

I mainly write in fantasy. Young adult magic and heroic fantasy, especially, though my first short story was contemporary fantasy. I also like to throw a bit of adventurous plot. But stories can't be just two genres, right? Right! I like to add light romance, comedy, and action into it. My novel is currently going well. I'm still trying to adapt to writing 500 words a day (not an easy task).

I'm currently reading The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan (a great book, I have to say). I'm almost finished and then I'll move on to The Son of Neptune. I've also borrowed Twilight by Stephanie Meyer from my English teacher, and I've finished reading it just yesterday. I'm going to ask her for New Moon tomorrow at school. (Please don't kill me for reading Twilight. ;-;) In fact, I think I might make a book review here tomorrow.

Speaking of books, Sarah J. Maas's Empire of Storms is coming out in two days! *freaks out like a fangirl*

That's all from me today. Thank you for reading this post. I'm curious, though, what are your book preferences? Let me know if you like fantasy too! I might need some help on writing in the genre. :)

Big Thank You

Happy September, guys! This will my first (actually second) post which has no relation to the journal! Yay!

I've finished the 30-Days Journal Writing Challenge. I don't mean to gloat but only Lester and I managed to finish it on the right day and through the month of August. Here is Lester's blog if you're interested in taking a look: http://everysecondinthemonthofaugust.blogspot.com. It's worth a read, you know.
I'm still unsure if he's going to continue with his blog. He mentioned before he only started a blog for the journal. I hope he does... :| :/

Anyway, I would never have bothered to start my blog if it weren't for my English teacher, Mrs. Siti Norhanizah! (She also has a blog and it's right here: http://myneverendingstoryii.blogspot.com.) In fact, it's because of her I've overcome my fear of thinking what others would think of my posts. (still not over with the social awkwardness, though. :( ) So thank you very much from the bottom of my heart.

I probably won't have time to write every single day. ehm like yesterday 0:) But I'll try to keep this blog running with things happening my life—if they're interesting and not dull like every day—or my book updates. I'd been babbling about my books and novels but I never got to share them, but trust me, I shall!

Oh, I almost forgot. The DKLS Essay Writing Competition is now open for essay submissions. I wrote it yesterday, but damn, I had so much trouble. Why did it have to be about politics?!?! I feel like they can sense my weaknesses in writing... I still have fifteen days, but *gulp* hopefully I can win this. FOR THE BOOK VOUCHERS!

Ooo-kay. I think this post is going long enough, so I'll stop here. Thank you so much for being with me throughout the journal and thank you for reading this post. It'll take time, but I hope my blog grows bigger every day. Again, thank you teacher for helping me on my feet, and thank you readers for being with me. ;)