My Entertainment Update for February 2024

Hello friends! It’s been a busy month and there’s a lot to cover, so here’s an update of what’s been entertaining me lately:

The Golem and the Jinni, by Helene Wecker. I finally finished this big book, and absolutely loved it. It’s the story of a female golem, a supernatural creature made out of clay by Hebrew magic, and a male jinni, a creature of light and fire from the Syrian desert. These two form an unlikely friendship in 1900 New York. The story of how they came to be and how they met is a long, complicated one, but it turns out the man who made the golem is also the reincarnated version of the man who trapped the jinni in a bottle a thousand years ago. The soul of the man’s many lives is bound–and cursed–by the spell he wove so long ago, binding his soul to the jinni. By circumstance and serendipity, the golem and the jinni find themselves trying to fit into the human world they’re trapped in, and eventually escape the clutches of their nemesis, Joseph Schall. This is a very simplistic summary; the story is richly told, the setting of Little Syria and the Jewish neighborhoods in New York in 1900 is intricately detailed, and the cast of supporting characters is fantastic. It took me a few months to read it, and I loved every minute of it. I just found out there is a sequel called The Hidden Palace, and I’ve promptly ordered it; I’ll be voicing my thoughts on that on my next update.

Escape from Valo, by Daniel Jose Older and Alyssa Wong. This is the first middle-grade novel for Phase 3 of the High Republic. It takes place on Valo, where the Republic Fair took place and was attacked by the Nihil in the book The Rising Storm, from Phase 1. Valo is the home planet of Ram Jomaram, a Padawan who had adventures and battles against the Nihil in previous books. Since the attack on the Republic Fair two and a half years ago, the Nihil put up their Stormwall and took control of Valo. They killed many adult Jedi with the Nameless, and Ram is hiding out in the abandoned Jedi Temple, and masquerading as the “Scarlet Skull,” making strikes against the Nihil and broadcasting his rebellious messages on various channels.

He comes across three Jedi younglings–Gavi, Kildo, and Tep Tep–who had been hiding in the mountains for a year but have been inspired by the Scarlet Skull and have come back to Lonisa City to fight the Nihil. Thrown into the mix is a Zabrak youth called Zyle, a pirate who has come to Valo to find bacta on the sunken ship the Innovator. Together they cause trouble for the Nihil commander, Vark Tarpalin, and hatch a plan to retrieve the bacta.

Another player is Driggit, Gavi’s former best friend who has joined the Nihil, initially to help protect her parents and Valo. She had thought her former Jedi friends had been killed, but when they show up again attacking the Nihil, she inexplicably becomes enraged. I didn’t really understand or like this character. I thought her stint with the Nihil was just a ruse and she wasn’t really one of them, but when her friends come back, she blames them for making things worse and is actually willing to kill them later on in the story, and she feels very much like an actual Nihil. I felt her character was a bit contrived for drama’s sake.

Other than that, I enjoyed the book and thought it a fine addition to the High Republic middle-grade collection. It’s got a lot of heart and deals with Jedi relationships and attachments, their connections to the Force, and of course, learning to deal with fear, to accept risk, and to grow.

The Legends of Luke Skywalker, by Ken Liu. This was a pretty fun book. It takes place during the Sequel era, when Luke Skywalker is still in hiding, and very much just a legend for most people. A crew on a transport ship are heading to Canto Bight for a delivery, and they amuse themselves with stories they’ve heard about Luke Skywalker. Most of the stories are entertaining (even though their knowledge or ideas about the legendary Jedi are garbled at most, and ignorant and ridiculous at worst). There was only one story I thought particularly stupid, and that one’s about a flea-sized sentient creature hanging out on Luke and giving him directions on how to fight the rancor and Jabba’s henchman. Are you kidding me? But maybe that’s the point: these stories about Luke can beggar belief; it doesn’t take long for facts to get mixed up, for feats to be exaggerated, for truth to become tall tales. But I like how in one of the stories, Luke himself, after listening to some woman relate ludicrous tales about Luke Skywalker, say that he doesn’t mind the inaccuracies. The whole point of the war and the New Republic was partly about freedom of speech; people can say what they want without fear of being imprisoned or killed. Luke’s actions weren’t about being celebrated as a hero, but about fighting for what’s right. As long as that was accomplished, it doesn’t matter what people say about him. I thought that was a great touch. Anyway, an entertaining read.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain. I’ve had my eye on this book for a few years now, as I am an avowed introvert. As I suspect is the case with most introverts, I’ve always felt out of place in this loud world and that perhaps something was wrong with me. I even feel that my introversion has held me back in my life and I’ve missed opportunities that might have made me more successful. While this might be true, it’s gratifying to know that I’m not alone, that introversion is not a kind of deviance or disease, and that we can learn to work with our personality traits to navigate successfully through life. I’ve just started this book, and the beginning is filled with scientific studies, both biological and psychological, and it’s fascinating. I do hope we move on from all the studies and possibly learn some strategies in making life a bit easier for those of us who don’t wish to throw ourselves into the spotlight. At least not all the time, lol.

I love how Omega looks like a tough little cookie here, lol.

The Bad Batch Season 3 Premiere. The Batch is finally back, and the first three episodes didn’t disappoint! I’m working on a separate post of my thoughts for the episodes, but until then let me just say I’m loving it already and am excited for the next episode! Stay tuned.

Assembled: The Making of Echo. These behind-the-scenes docs are always fun to watch, and this one’s no exception. I was impressed that the entire cast and a lot of the crew learned sign language before filming began, to make things flow easier for the deaf star, Alaqua Cox. They also asked for input from the Choctaw Nation, to be as authentic as possible in their Native representation on screen. I adored this series; there were no global stakes or huge super-hero powers at work, just a woman caught between two worlds who’s trying to make sense of who she is and who she ought to be. All while being very kick-ass, of course, lol.

Upcoming: Temptation of the Force, Tessa Gratton. This book was just announced for release on June 11th. It’s the second adult High Republic novel of Phase 3, and I can’t wait for it!

Forbidden love…it’s going to be disastrous, and it’s going to be great!

Here’s the blurb:

For over a year, Jedi Masters Avar Kriss and Elzar Mann were kept apart by the Nihil’s Stormwall. After Avar makes a daring escape from inside the Occlusion Zone, the star-crossed Jedi are reunited. But while the physical distance between them has evaporated, their shared grief over their failure to protect the galaxy from the Nihil threat remains.

To rally the Jedi Order and the Republic, Avar and Elzar cling to their belief in serving Light and Life. Together, they lead a daring mission into Nihil space to liberate the planet of Naboo and show those trapped behind the Stormwall that the Jedi will never abandon them. Now back within close orbit of each other, the two Jedi Masters can no longer deny the bond that has always drawn them back together and made them stronger.

After finally embracing their true desires and imbued with renewed purpose, Avar and Elzar devise a plan to turn the tide of the conflict with the Nihil once and for all. Accompanied by Jedi Knights Bell Zettifar, Burryaga, and Vernestra Rwoh, the Jedi begin their hunt for Marchion Ro. But to seek out the Nihil’s dangerous leader, the Jedi will have to survive the Nameless terrors that thus far they have been powerless to stop.
Temptation of the Force

Can’t wait for this one, but first comes Defy the Storm, the next YA novel coming out March 5th, so plenty of High Republic to keep me happy!

What’s been entertaining you lately? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Update for January 2024

Hello friends and welcome to my entertainment update for January! Here’s what’s been entertaining me lately:

The Golem and the Jinni, by Helene Wecker. This book caught my eye when it first came out in 2013 and has been on my mental book list ever since. I found this used edition at my local Salvation Army for a few bucks and decided it was time to read it. It’s about two magical creatures from two different cultures: a golem from Jewish tradition and a jinni from Arabic culture. A golem is a being made from clay in human form and brought to life, meant to protect their master. A jinni (genie) is, well, you know; but my understanding of these spirit creatures is being expanded by this book.

The “present” of the novel takes place in turn-of-the-century New York City, but we get flashbacks of the Jinni’s long life in Syria, though he doesn’t remember how he was put into the flask in which he is found by Arbeely, a tinsmith in Little Syria. Turns out he was imprisoned by a wizard a thousand years ago. The golem, on the other hand, is very new, having been created by an old rabbi wizard named Shalmaan in Poland for a man named Rotfeld, who wanted a wife and companion as he embarked on a journey to the New World. Unfortunately, Rotfeld died on the ship over from a burst appendix, and the golem is left alone. In the city, a Rabbi named Avram recognizes what she is and takes her in to help her. Both creatures must learn to navigate this bewildering new world.

It’s a big book (over 400 pages) and it’s a slow burn; I’m about a fourth of the way through and they haven’t met yet. I’m reading it rather leisurely, but it’s very intriguing and compulsively readable. I’ll check in again when I finish it, hopefully at next month’s update.

Cobalt Squadron, by Elizabeth Wein. This is a junior novel that takes place between The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, centering on Rose Tico and her sister Paige. I’ve been in the mood for more sequel stories, and this is one I hadn’t gotten to yet. We see Paige Tico die at the beginning of The Last Jedi in the bomber run against the First Order, and Rose later grieving for her. We are led to understand that they were very close, but we don’t get to see that in the film. So we get it here in this book, as they serve together on the bomber Hammer of Cobalt Squadron. The bombers of Cobalt and Crimson Squadrons are on a mission to help Atterra Bravo, a planet that’s being blockaded by The First Order. They must perform a series of supply drops to the planet while evading asteroids (some of which are armed with automatic cannons) and First Order TIE fighters. The bomber supply runs are dangerous and nerve-wracking, but Rose remains brave and determined as long as her sister Paige is in the gunner turret. In fact, Rose can’t imagine going on a mission without her sister. By the end of the story, she’s ready to be separated from Paige, after the destruction of Hosnian Prime puts them on different ships–Rose on Amilyn Holdo’s Ninka, and Paige on the Hammer, where she’ll be killed. It’s a sad foreknowledge, but I enjoyed this book where they could serve together one last time.

What If… S2. I’ve been a bit picky about the Marvel projects I’ve watched lately, having skipped most of the live-action shows and only viewing the latest movies (the notable exception being Loki Season 2). I enjoyed the first season of the animated show What If…? but when I saw that Season 2 was out, I thought, meh. I don’t know why, I guess I just wasn’t ready. But once I finally watched the first episode, I was hooked all over again. Each episode just got better and better. While the episodes explore variations of our heroes (and villains) in several different multiverses, there is an over-arching story arc involving Peggy Carter aka Captain Carter, continuing on from Season 1. I wasn’t particularly interested in her at first, but she’s grown on me. I loved every single episode here; they’re super fun, often hilarious, and could be heartbreaking as well. I also love how at the end of the last episode, the multiverse here is somehow connected to the World Tree multiverse that Loki is now holding together, though only vaguely. I’m hoping we’ll get more information on that in a Season 3.

Echo. This series is billed as a “Marvel Spotlight” as it’s only five episodes long, just long enough to focus on Maya Lopez, a character introduced in the Hawkeye series. While that series didn’t wow me as much as I’d have liked, I was intrigued by this character who is deaf and has a prosthetic leg. That doesn’t stop her from being totally badass, of course. There’s plenty of action here, but the heart of this series is Maya’s story. We got a little bit of it in Hawkeye, but it’s expanded on here, and let me tell you: it’s fantastic.

Maya comes from a long line of gifted Chocktaw women, and her Native heritage is front and center in this show. The crux of Maya’s story is her need to choose between her birth family in Oklahoma (which includes her estranged grandmother Chula, her cousin Bonnie, another cousin named Biscuits, and her uncle Henry); and her uncle in New York who happens to be the villain Kingpin. I don’t know much about Kingpin, other than he runs a criminal empire. He also loves Maya very much (or what seems to serve as love, for him). After her father died, he took her into his organization and she became an integral part of it, doing a lot of his dirty work. Fueled by rage and a sense of abandonment by her birth family, it took Hawkeye to open her eyes to her uncle’s ruthlessness. Oh, and he killed her father. At the end of the Hawkeye series, she shoots Kingpin in the face, believing him dead.

But of course he’s not. He pursues Maya to Oklahoma, presumably to kill her, but really to try to make amends and bring her back into the organization. But Maya’s having visions of her ancestors and must decide who she wants to be and where her loyalties lie.

I didn’t think I was going to watch this series, but I’m so glad I did! Don’t sleep on this gem if you can help it.

In Star Wars news, we got some pretty exciting announcements lately, such as:

The Mandalorian and Grogu movie, Ahsoka S2 announced. On top of the three movies that have been talked about the past few months (the Rey New Jedi Order movie, the James Mangold Dawn of the Jedi movie, and the Dave Filoni Mandoverse movie), suddenly out of nowhere we get an announcement stating there will be a movie about Din and Grogu called, originally enough, The Mandalorian and Grogu. There was some debate about whether or not this movie will replace a season four of The Mandalorian, but I think the consensus is that it will not. There will be a S4 of The Mandalorian and this movie. At some point. There are no anticipated release dates for any of these films or shows, including the near-afterthought announcement of an Ahsoka Season Two. I was happy to hear about that. Of course, as is always the case, things may change. I’m just going to sit back and wait and see what they bring us and not hold my breath for anything, lol.

Bad Batch S3 Trailer. And of course, we got the first trailer for The Bad Batch Season 3, which I’m super-excited about, as you may imagine. I posted a brief reaction to the trailer the other day and am just counting down the days to February 21st when it premieres.

So that’s it this month. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Star Wars: The Bad Batch–Cornered

In “Cornered,” the Bad Batch have to make a stop at Pantora for two things: for Tech to scramble their transponder so their ship won’t be recognized, and to sell some parts for credits so they can get some food. Sounds simple enough, right? Right.

Suu Lawquane warned them that children will find trouble without trying, and of course she was right. Omega finds it pretty quickly, running after a voorpack (a cute dog/cat-like creature that we first saw in Resistance–oh, didn’t watch it? What are you waiting for? Because Buggles is waiting for you!) who took her doll. She runs into Fennec Shand, who has been hired to find Omega. Omega is understandably naïve, and trusts Fennec at first, who promises to help her find her friends. But though she may be naïve, she’s not stupid, and once she sees Fennec’s blaster, she becomes wary. And once Fennec starts blasting at Hunter, she definitely goes on the offensive, trying to stop her.

I like how during the whole chase scene, both Hunter and Wrecker try to save her, but Omega is pretty good at saving herself, for the most part. She’s scared, but gets right to it, doing what she has to to get away. She’s a clone made from Jango’s DNA, after all, (we think; don’t quote me on that) and certainly not helpless. But she’s still a child, and Hunter finally sweeps her up on his speederbike.

I love the whole scene with Echo and the Gran shopkeeper. Like it or not, Echo does look a bit like a droid, especially in that outfit he had on; I thought it was great he argued for a higher price with Hunter. This whole bit has me hoping that they do more with Echo and his perceived place within the Batch; I’m guessing he still doesn’t feel like the others, whether “Regs” or the BB, and that he struggles with his new identity.

We didn’t hear anymore of Wrecker’s “headache” in this episode, but he did hit his head again when Fennec attacked him. I don’t think it’s just going to go away, that’s for sure. Instead, we have to wait in agonized suspense to see how it will play out, lol.

It’s funny, as Wrecker was easily my least favorite member of the BB when we first meet them in Clone Wars; I thought he was way too much of a stereotype and not very interesting. But he’s quickly become a fan favorite, as we’re getting to know him a little better in this series, and I have to admit, I love him, too. He’s a big lug with a big heart, a protective big brother to Omega, child-like and endearing, and I’m very nervous something bad is going to happen to him, lol.

So we knew we’d see Fennec Shand in this series, and it seems she’ll be a recurring character as she continues to pursue Omega. The most obvious guess as to who hired her is the Kaminoans, who want her back for their own purposes, but that answer seems too easy. So like everything else, we just have to be patient and wait for answers.

I’m continuing to love this show, and eagerly await next week’s episode. (Maybe we’ll see Rex next week?)

What did you think of “Cornered”?