First, let me start off by saying that this review is from the point of view of an avid movie lover and a Poe fan. I’m in no way a rabid fangirl of Edgar Alan Poe, though I do enjoy his work. With that said, The Raven was a fun movie with a literary twist.

The concept itself is pretty amazing, especially with the juxtaposition of Poe, his work, and a murder mystery. The namesake comes from his poem of the same title and parallels it in some ways with similar themes. The story of the film takes place in the last few days of Poe’s life, which are historically pretty interesting due to the mysterious manner in which Poe was found on a park bench rambling the name “Reynolds”. The Raven makes use of this quite well.

John Cusack plays Edgar Allan Poe and did a wonderful job. I had my doubts at first because he seemed so over dramatic at first, but it’s possible that the character was supposed to be that way in the beginning. As the film progressed he toned it down and made a relatable and heroic character in Poe. Luke Evans, who played Detective Fields, was a surprisingly great addition to this movie. He’s a great actor and the character complimented Poe in a way that made them great to watch.

One of y biggest complaints about this movie was the badly added CG. I’m talking SyFy made for TV bad. In the beginning, there is a horrible CG of Poe’s shadow as he walks down the street. It was a great shot that was completely ruined by horrible CG. The same can be said about the CGed Ravens. While I understand the theme and the visual of having ravens, the CG was just plain bad.

Cinematography-Wise, there were some beautiful visuals. My favorite and the one that is most vivid in my mind is a scene where Poe chases the murderer into the woods, which are completely barren and shrouded in fog. It was a great scene that was ruined by badly CGed ravens. Another fantastic shot, which was thankfully not ruined by bad CG, is when the murderer was riding a horse and he is dressed in a black costume with a skeleton in the front and a skull mask. This was to represent death from Masque of the Red Death in a fantastic scene.

For those looking for historical accuracy, look else where. The Raven is a fun fictionalization of Poe’s final days and utilizes his work and his themes to create a fun movie. Besides, if Abraham Lincoln can be a vampire hunter, why can’t Poe help catch a murderer who is killing based on his own work? I would recommend this movie for anyone who isn’t a serious and avid Poe fan, who like a good murder mystery, and who love John Cusack.

Would you recommend this film? Yes

by: Barbara Moore and Aly Fell (illustrations)

Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide

Description (from Llewellyn):

Where the past and future converge . . .

With a turn of the wheel and a spin of the cog, the oracular machinery lumbers into action. The curtains slowly draw back; the time has come to reveal your destiny.

Created by award-winning tarot expert Barbara Moore and brilliantly brought to life by artist Aly Fell, The Steampunk Tarot deck offers a glimpse of the future through a lens to the past. Retooling the gears of the Rider-Waite tradition, each card’s intricate artwork depicts a scintillating fusion of man and machine, nature and technology, science and alchemy, romance and fashion. The included manual offers tips, original spreads, and guidance in card interpretation.

Popular tarot writer Barbara Moore and illustrator Aly Fell have teamed up to create a sumptuous, fantastical deck that melds the “standard” Rider-Waite tarot system with the whimsy of the steampunk style, and the result is spectacular. The set comes with the deck and a 300-page companion book written by Moore.

The book provides a definition and description of steampunk as a genre and artistic style, and gives some basics of reading the cards. It also gives detailed descriptions of each card, providing the story behind each image and tips for interpreting it in a reading. The deck itself is richly colored and full of gears, electricity, dirigibles, and strange technology. You can lose yourself in the world portrayed in the artwork, a perfect blend of steampunk technology and the fantasy elements of a world not quite like our own.

One thing I loved about the deck was how self-referential it is: Justice lets fall from her hand several cards from the deck, and the gypsy fortuneteller portrayed in the High Priestess card appears again in the 10 of Pentacles. A little in-deck continuity gives it a feeling of reality many other decks lack—there’s definitely a story or two within these cards.

Another delightful characteristic of the deck its sense of “girl power.” There are several female knights, and the mechanical Chariot is driven by a woman. The female empowerment perfectly suits the progressive nature of steampunk itself. Steampunk shifts the stuffy Victorian era forward to a time that has never really existed, and the deck’s juxtaposition of women in stiff corsets with women in sexy aviator costumes crystallizes the paradox at the core of the genre. In the Introduction, Barbara Moore writes, “Just as tarot explores contrary energies, so does steampunk, combining as it does reality and fantasy, magic and machine, facts and imagine.”

And that melding is what elevates this deck from novelty into beauty. The Strength card illustrates that magical alteration of known reality. In it, the woman portrayed is helping the lion, not taming him. She knows the dangers inherent to and in each of us, and she accepts those dangers, finding strength in her compassion and ability to heal.

You could spend hours searching through the images and the book, looking for patterns, finding characters, telling stories. I know I will!

To purchase the deck, visit Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Llewellyn.

Director: Joss Whedon

Starring: Robert Downy Junior, Chris Evans, Chris Hemswort, Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo

Synopsis: After his last unsuccessful run-in with his adoptive brother Thor, Loki dreams of revenge and a kingdom to call his own. With the help of the Chitauri, an alien race intent on conquering the galaxy, he sets out to steal the Tesseract, a relict of unimaginable power which turned up on earth when the brothers had their first disagreement. This relict has been studied by a secret organization called S.H.I.E.L.D., hoping to use its powers to protect mankind. Loki steals the Tesseract and uses his powers to turn several members – including a spy by the nickmane Hawkeye – of the organization against their own kind.

In an attempt to save the world, agent Nick Fury reactivates the Avengers Initiative. S.H.I.E.L.D. contacts several humans with extraordinary talents: Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, Steve Rogers aka Captain America, Bruce Banner aka The Hulk and secret agent Natasha Romanoff aka The Black Widow. The group travels to Stuttgart, Germany, where they catch Loki trying to obtain iridium, which he needs in order to stabilize the Tessaract’s energy. Loki is brought to the helicarrier, a giant flying operating base.

In the meantime, Loki’s brother Thor has arrived and tries to free him to take him back to Asgard. Loki, however, has got his own plans. He uses the group’s dynamics in order to escape. Hawkeye, who assisted in his escape, is freed from Loki’s power when his former associate Natasha delivers a hard blow to his head. Now he is determined to catch Loki to get his revenge.

In order to defeat Loki and save the earth, the group members have got to overcome their egos and find ways of working together, combining their strengths and weaknesses for a showdown in Manhatten.

Review: Although I am not a comic fan, I immensely enjoyed this movie. The characters are introduced one after the other for all those who – like me – may not have seen all the previous movies set in the Marvel universe. Still the introductions are done in a way that keeps the audience from getting bored. There is lots of witty dialogue, and just as much fast-paced action. I also liked that there was no openly visible romance in the story (which really annoyed me last year when watching “Thor” – did anyone else think that chick was completely useless?).

The effects used throughout the movie were pretty spectacular. Admittedly 3D effects are not everybody’s cup of tea, but I thought it supported the movie wonderfully. The amount of explosions was reasonable (for an action movie) and the beings were animated realistically.

The only thing to get on my nerves this time was Loki’s whiny attitude: “Look, no one loves me, everyone abandoned me, now I have got to become a tyrant to prove my worth!” Of course this is especially annoying since he is not just any villain, but Loki – trickster god of the ancient Northern tribes. For someone with a personal interest in Northern mythology, this was hard to swallow.

However, if you can look past this, “The Avengers” is a movie worth watching, and definitely worth the popcorn.

Available as: Paperback, Kindle format, Nook format

Suggested retail price: Paperback – 14.95$; eBook – 6.65$/6.99$

ISBN: 0979453313;  978-0979453311

208 pages

Available from: Local bookstores, Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4/5

Reviewed by: Diandra Linnemann

Synopsis: “Utterly wicked” is the book for those who are tired of trying to solve all problems with light and love only. Acclaimed author Dorothy Morrison presents everything you need to know to use “hexes, curses and other unsavory notions”. She starts out with an explanation of what curses are, how they work and when to use them (or not). This is followed by examples of easily obtained tools, such as graveyard dirt or inexpensive fashion dolls. After that, the reader learns how to prepare and conduct curses and hexes, what to do once they are complete, how to revoke a curse and the end of the book – about one third – is made up of all kinds or recipes and rituals, sorted by purpose in alphabetic order.

Review: This book was originally recommended to me by someone whom I figured to be more of a “love and light” person than most other witches and Pagans I hang out with. So my curiosity was piqued instantly. And buying it was a great decision, since I got to use it only days after the purchase when I discovered that a substantial amount of money had been stolen from of my bank account. What can I say? Within days, the money was back where it belonged, and I am sure the rest of my request was carried out just as quickly. (I also reported the theft to the police, who did not find whoever did this and eventually stopped searching, but that is another topic.)

The explanations throughout the book are easily understandable, and the readers feel that the author really understands where they are coming from. Reading it was as entertaining as it was educating, and although I have not needed it since that first time, I will make sure to keep it close, just in case. Oh, and I really loved the book’s cover.

However, there were a few minor things I did not agree with. At one point, for example, Dorothy Morrison tells how she used a curse on her cheating husband. Although I am sure most people fully understand this (heck, if my significant other was cheating on me, I’d rip out his legs and stuff them down his throat and up his… you get the point), I found this to be pretty extreme – especially after the lecture at the beginning of the book how in most cases a curse would not be necessary and all other means should be employed first. Furthermore, I was under the impression that tiny bits and pieces were missing in several chapters, without being able to pinpoint what exactly should fill in the blanks. The fact that I successfully used the book right in the beginning shows you that this is not a big problem, more something gnawing at the back of my mind.

All in all, the book’s rating is 4/5, and I really recommend it to everyone who wants more than sunshine and fluffy bunnies at their sides when facing the world.

Publisher: Avalonia

Year Published: 2011

Price: $24.99

Pages: 192

ISBN: 978-1-905297-49-8

Available from: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and your local book store.

Synopsis: The Temple of Hekate is a manual of rituals and magickal practices exploring the Mysteries of the goddess Hekate. Tara Sanchez brings together ancient tradition with modern insights to give a well-thought out guide to working with this complex goddess.

Review: When The Temple of Hekate came out, it was immediately on my to-buy list. The publisher, Avalonia, has a well-deserved reputation for putting out works of scholarly esoterica which cover the spectrum. This piece did not disappoint.

The introductory section is a concise overview of Greek magickal practice along with some history of the goddess Hekate. Covered in this informative part are daemons (NOT DEMONS), concepts of the afterlife, ghosts and other spirits, and the literary and mythological origins of Hekate from Hesiod to The Chaldean Oracles. The language is easy to understand, but not simple. Ms Sanchez expects her readers to pay attention and think about what she is presenting both in this section and throughout the book.

The practical section, which comprises most of the book, is very thorough in its approach. In this part, the reader will learn by reading and doing about creating a magickal journal, invoking the divine into physical objects, creating astral temples, doing group workings on the physical and astral planes, and creating sacred spaces and objects. The practical part is very meaty in its substance and is worth taking your time to read and process. I highly recommend the various exercises, even if you consider yourself a practiced hand at various magickal arts. The section on relating the tarot and other methods of divination to work with Hekate is a mine of information. Ms. Sanchez includes meditations upon the cards inspired by the goddess as well as a good over-all picture of the uses of divination as tool to commune with Hekate. I strongly suggest checking out the dice oracle which is included in its entirety in the divination section.

The appendices are a valuable addition to any practitioner’s body of knowledge. They cover information on Hekate’s historical links to other deities; common symbols used in working with Hekate; bits of esoterica useful for any kind of complex magickal work; and various plants, minerals, and other items associated with Hekate as offerings and in imagery of her.

Overall I would recommend this book to anyone with even the least interest in Hekate, and I would strongly recommend it for anyone who has a real desire to work more closely with this ancient and multi-faceted goddess.

Synopsis: After their only child, nine-year-old Alice, is killed by a crazy dog, vet Patrick and his wife Louise, who works as a pharmacist, move to the small village of Wake Wood. They soon discover that the village has got a secret – the locals know a Pagan ritual that allows them to call dead people from the grave for three days to say goodbye. When Louise learns about this ritual, she is excited, and after some hesitation, her husband agrees to follow through with this plan. Unexpected problems arise when the couple lies about the time that has passed since their daughter’s death, and it is discovered that it is not only a blessing to have Alice back.

Review: “Wake Wood” is a movie with an intense atmosphere. It portrays the devastation and grief of a family suddenly losing their only child. The images are very real – there are no fancy special effects, no heavy makeup, and the gory details are shown up close and pretty realistic. This as well as the rather conservative use of camera shots makes for a movie that feels real, despite the magical side of the story. Newspaper reviews have put it into the same category as “Wicker Man”, an opinion I agree with.

The Pagan ritual in “Wake Wood” is depicted in a rather realistic way. There are no fancy robes and jewelry, no lightning or fairies. Instead, the re-birth takes place in the back yard of a farm house, with the participants wearing their everyday work gear, and instead of ancient sacred objects, they use tools they have got at hand. The whole thing appears to be witchcraft (simply doing a chore) instead of a spiritual practice – and in fact, I do not remember religion or spirituality being mentioned at any point during the movie. No elaborate chanting or rhyming prayers are used, and when the child is re-born, it emerges naked, in slime and blood. Not much is explained about the ritual, the viewer has to depend on his or her own understanding of the matter – and I had to say, except for the “people actually coming back from the grave” aspect, I found it very realistic. Another positive thing about the movie is that Paganism is not portrayed as good or evil – the ritual is shown without any further comment. In this movie, magic is just a tool, and it depends on the people who use it whether the outcome will be good or bad. If you behave in an irresponsible way, you will have to deal with the consequences.

There were two things I would criticize about “Wake Wood”: First, it was not made clear how the parents knew about the importance of the deceased having to be dead for less than a year – they lie about this point, which leads to things going downhill later. Of course this span of time is mentioned throughout Irish mythology and folk stories, hence they might be making an educated guess. The second is the extremely graphic depiction of violence and death. I really like horror and splatter movies, but in this movie it felt slightly displaced, and the story did not necessarily benefit from the bloody details.

Still, I would really recommend the movie to everyone who likes intelligent gory entertainment.

Publisher: U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Description (from Goodreads):

Fantasy artist Jennifer Galasso has created Crystal Visions Tarot in a unique style with ethereal faerie imagery and a vibrant color scheme inspired by the four seasons and the four elements. Crystal Visions Tarot remains true to the classic Rider-Waite 78-card system in much of its symbolism, as well as in card and suit names.

The luscious card imagery also illustrates the elemental aspects of each suit in order to aid the novice in forming associations with the cards.

The Crystal Visions Tarot deck includes 78 cards with an additional unknown card for gazing into future situations that have not yet been revealed, or for exploring issues with deeper insight. The instruction booklet offers both upright and reversed meanings.

The Fool by Jennifer Galasso

Jennifer’s artwork is stunning.  Each card has vibrant colors and a new age feel to them.  The Fool is a woman surrounded by butterflies getting ready to step off a cliff.  It’s the first card that really tells you this deck will be unique.  The devil actually reminds me of Adam and Eve, there’s a guy dressed up with antlers playing a pan flute and a naked woman eating an apple, beneath an apple tree.  Who is the devil here?  Hmmmm?

There are recurring characters in the deck, which makes it interesting to imagine the storyline.  And it does feel like this deck tells a story.  Oh I almost forgot all the animals.  There are lions, dragons, horses and even unicorns, not to mention crows and other birds of the hunt.

The cover of the box shows a closeup of the Page of Cups.  Now you might be thinking to yourself, “does it ever leave behind the feel-good look?”  Well, the swords do get a little bloody, but it keeps this theme.  The colors, while gorgeous do give the deck a dark feel, they all look like evening  or moonlit nights.  They stay true to the suit as well.  The cups have a dark purple color to the moonlit sky, the wands are mostly red tinted.

Is this deck right for you?  If you go to Jennifer’s website, you can preview all the cards here – http://www.crystalvisionstarot.com.  And the description says it contains 78 cards like any other deck, but there is a bonus card called “The Unknown Card” and it features a gorgeous brunette wearing a pentacle pendant, holding a crystal ball in her left hand while a black bird carrying a black wand flies in front of her right.  Looks like she’s in a castle room with purple glass windows behind her and 2 purple candles adding illumination to the moonlight making its way in through the window.

You can’t deny all the beauty and detail that went into these cards.  They would be great for everyday use, but I think they’d be especially good on days when you need a pick-me-up.

If you order from Jennifer’s website – here – you can get the deck or (and I didn’t know there was one) the expanded book signed by her, you just have to leave a note in the comments when you order.

Additionally you can purchase the deck from Amazon or Barnes & Nobles.

Publisher: U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Description (from Goodreads):

French for ‘joy of living’, the Joie de Vivre Tarot is designed to access the childlike energy in each one of us to help stimulate, enhance, and inspire joy in our own lives. A truly fantastical people, the living beings in the Joie de Vivre realm are all sentient souls of love who want nothing but the best for those who take a journey through their world. An amplifier of intuition and a connection to the divine source, they hope the Joie de Vivre deck will help awaken a response from deep within your heart, mind, and spirit.

Stunningly beautiful 78-card tarot deck with instruction booklet.

I can review this deck with one word – “whimsical” – it’s like cute goth.  The colors are in the pastel range, in a way that seems to dampen the gloss from the cards.  Shady but definitely not dark.

The queen of cups is a mermaid with a blue heart on the end of her tail; she is sitting on a rock delighted by a couple of fish jumping out of a large cup.  The water is a grayish blue and the sky is kind of yellow, reminds me of hazy morning light.

The creepy does come through.  The queen of swords is wearing a worn dress, messy hair, skulls hanging from her waist and a rickety sword in her hands…she looks annoyed to say the least.

But then you see the Devil and he’s not as scary as in other decks.  Oh he looks mischievous, with his wicked grin and cricket style legs/arms.  He has shrunken heads hanging from his shirt and has a person on marionette strings.  He reminds me more of a street performer.

These cards are full of so many intricate details that you could spend hours just looking through the cards. They could easily serve as your go-to deck for readings.  In fact, the only complaint I have is the box isn’t very sturdy.  My family has taken them out a handful of times and it’s falling apart.  Of course that just makes me think I need to get a tarot bag for them.  lol

There is a Deluxe Edition Set at Pauline’s website for $42…it comes with the Joie de Vivre Tarot deck and the booklet is signed, a pen and ink drawing on heavyweight paper, and your choice of one of the major arcana matted to a 5×7 signed and titled.  You can find it here.

 To purchase the deck you can find it at Amazon and Barnes & Nobles.

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Year Published: 2010

Available in: Hardcover, Mass Market Paper, Kindle, Nook formats

Suggested Retail Price: $9.80 for hardback, $8.73paperback, or $ 7.14 e-format download

ISBN: 978-0439023511

Pages: 400

Available from: Barnes and Noble, Amazon, or your local bookstore

Rating: 4/5

Reviewed by: Jade Pinkertoniey

Synopsis of the book:  Despite trying to kill Katniss Everdeen twice in the Hunger Games, President Snow and the Capitol have failed. She has been rescued by District 13 and is out of their reach. But the Capitol has one piece of leverage against her. Peeta. How can she rally the rebels to fight when no one is safe from the Capitol’s revenge? But has Katniss traded in one tyrant for another by siding with District 13?

Review: This is the third and final book of The Hunger Games series. Katniss is living in District 13. Where the Capitol is excess and luxury, District 13 salvages and uses restraint. Nothing is wasted in District 13. Not time, food, or clothing. It is opposite in every way from the Capitol. And yet, are they using Katniss in their own political game?

They have asked Katniss to don the mockingjay suit created by Cinna and rally the rebels. But her promise haunts her from the last book that she was supposed to keep Peeta alive. How can she now when he is a prisoner of the Capitol? If she wants him back, she will have to fight for him and with the rebels. President Snow wants her dead and will use whatever means available. Because of Katniss’ vow to end his life and his barbaric Hunger Games, she joins the fight with the rebels.

War changes people and this book is testimony to that. It is darker and bloodier than the previous two books. The author shows the damaging nature of war for both the land and especially the survivors. Near the end Katniss develops from a teenager into a remorseful woman.

If you are anxious to know if Katniss chooses Peeta or Gale then by the end of this book your question will be answered. To me, that answer is the highlight of the book, but I wish the story had more time spent on her love and this bittersweet ending than it does. However, with the increased violence, I would recommend this book for ages 14 and up.

Would you recommend this book? Yes

Publisher: Penguin

Year Published: 2011

Available in: Hardcover, Mass Market Paper, Kindle, Nook formats

Suggested Retail Price: $7.99 for paper or e-format download

ISBN: 978-0425242049

Pages: 336

Available from: Barnes and Noble, Amazon, or your local bookstore

Rating: 4.5/5

Reviewed by: Jade Pinkertoniey

Synopsis of the book: Myst, Queen of the Vampire Fae, wants to spread the world in frost and ice. The only one who can stop her is Cicely Waters, a wind witch. Cicely has recently discovered she is also part Fae and has the power to shape-shift into an owl. However, can she focus on defeating Myst and her Shadow Hunters even as her Fae lover, Grieve, is captured?

Review: If you are tired of the same old vampire stories, then give this series a chance. Even though there are vampires in this story, the eldest of them would send one screaming from the room, not swooning. None of them accept trifling humans, werewolves, or witches.

But the most interesting aspect of this story is the Vampire Fae. Turned into vampires by Myst, the original Vampire Fae, their thirst is never quenched. But when they discovered that their power allows them to drain not only blood, but the soul from any magic-born there is no stopping them.

Cicely Waters is an interesting and complex character with a kaleidoscope of faults and strengths. Night Veil takes the reader in first person viewpoint and flows through spirals the author creates. There are multiple layers of her relationships with Grieve and even her enemy Myst.

This is not a book for teens as it has mature subject matter full of sex, violence, and lust. None of it is done to the point of disbelief, but shows that this world is real and not fluff. The characters are multidimensional and all have their issues that they must overcome.

If you like edgy vampire stories with a twist then this is a series to look into. Nothing is simple in this story. Even what promises to be a remedy ends up making things worse.

Yasmine Galenorn draws one into the story and makes you crave for the characters to win. And it does not hurt that in real life, she is a shamanic witch of an eclectic path. So reading this book not only supports an amazingly creative story, but also a fellow Pagan/Wiccan.

I am impatient to read the next one coming out July 3, 2012.

Would you recommend this book? Yes