I Just Read About That…

SOUNDTRACK: JEALOUS OF THE BIRDS-“Goji Berry Sunset” NPR’S SOUTH X LULLABY (March 14, 2017).

Jealous of the Birds is, I believe, just the two women in this video.  This song is a beautiful, short, sweet song.  Naomi Hamilton, a singer from Northern Ireland sings (and whistles) and plays the guitar while backing singer Hannah McConnell sings the deadpan-ish lines in the response two the lead vocals.  But when the chorus comes in their harmonies elevate the song just a little higher.

This video was filmed under a soft, glowing light installation. The Amsterdam-based audiovisual design studio Circus Family conceived TRIPH as an immersive experience — as people enter the room, the lights change color, and as people leave, it falls to sleep.

So, while the song is lovely, it’s really satisfying to watch this video as the colors change and the camera moves all around.  And the sound is great, too.

[READ: February 8, 2016] Cleopatra in Space Book Two

I really enjoyed book one of this series a lot.  So I was delighted to see that Book Two had come out.  I brought it home and C. enjoyed it and so did I.  T. enjoyed it too.  So much so, that I brought home book one for her to read so she could get all caught up.

This book follows the day after the previous book ends.

The only problem I had with the book is one that I tend to have with action  stories.  The first chapter was almost entirely action/fighting.  Typically I find this sort of plot development hard to follow and unsatisfying. Fortunately, Maihack has an excellent artistic style and very clean lines and coloring, so there was nothing confusing about the action at all.  But I had enjoyed the dialogue in the first book so much that I wished there was more in this one.

As the first chapter unfolds we see a boy get out of a space ship and fight his way to met Xaius Octavian, leader of the Xerx.  He says he hears that Xaius is looking for a thief.

We jump back to Cleopatra at school.  The school dance is just about to get underway and Cleo’s friend Akila has done an amazing job coordinating the whole thing–including getting The Scarabs to play for them. The headmaster says it’s good for the students to unwind given all the pressure that they are under (what with the possible attack by Xerx).

Cleo is speaking to Zaid, a disaffected boy with a mohawk.  He is not happy about the dance, but hey, free punch.  Meanwhile Brian comes over and wants to talk to her (she keeps trying to set him up with Akila but she is too busy).  While they are talking a huge crash happens and a thief runs right into Cleo.

She is unphased until she sees that he has the sword that she just stole.  And the next few pages show her chasing him.  There’s some good comic relief (the thief stops to tell The Scarabs that he loves them), but just as Cleo is about to capture him, the guards call her off and say they will handle it.

Chapter Two sees Cleo demonstrating how to be stealthy to her class (she is notoriously bad at stealth)–a good comic scene.

Then we move to the library, where Brian shows her something very important about the prophecy that brought her here.  It may be designed to send her home as well. She is exited about not being “stuck” there but it greatly upsets Akila who has no one else but Cleo in her life.

The final chapter shows the thief bringing the sword to Xaius.  But he quickly dismisses it (and the thief) as irrelevant.

Then we see some details about the sword and Cleo’s prophecy.

And as the story ends, Cleo’s ship (with some unlikely passengers) is heading for Hykosis, where something big is going to go down,.

I can’t believe I have to wait forever for the next book!