Showing posts with label Golden Son. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Golden Son. Show all posts

Thursday, September 28, 2017

MEETING THE AUTHOR: PIERCE BROWN IN MANILA 2017.


I met Pierce Brown last August (24th) and IT WAS SOOOOOO SURREAL!! (Here's my POST about it) I wasn't able to get my Red Rising signed that time because I didn't have the hardbound copy yet so I attended his public signing last August 27th for more of Pierce!


My blogger friends and other bookish friends lined up early (they were there around 6 or 7, I arrived around 8am) so I was able to register early. I also asked JM to buy me the hardbound copy of RR the day before (it was discounted and fresh out of the box) so yaaaay for completed trilogy! We then went out for breakfast and do some catch ups!


During the registration, we were given chapter samplers of Iron Gold and I may have howled loudly when I saw it. HAHA OMG I couldn't contain the excitement! SAMPLE CHAPTERS OF IRON GOLD OMG!!!!!!

(I would also like to commend National Bookstore for the pretty MIBF tickets for this year's event!)

Kate was here.

The picture above is the amazing crowd for Pierce's signing! I was shaking and fucking nervous the entire time! I know I met him up close but damn the build up of anxiety = noodle legs. The electricity in the air was absolutely hair-raising and my cheeks hurt so much from laughing/smiling! My throat also was a little bit sore from all the screaming! HAHA I LOVE BEING A FAN OMG

My lovely bookish/blogger friends

Pierce, just like my first impression, is such a cool guys. Very opinionated and he always always knows what he's saying. He's hilarious, so gwapo and generous. He answered all the questions in ways that not only fulfilling but with passion. What I really really appreciated is that he chose to stand up so that he could easily take pictures with his readers. It was the best thing I have seen. He's is soooo freaking down to earth!




I made these 3 posters for 4 hours the night before and I was so happy Pierce got them signed. He said that it's always wonderful to see his readers make art out of his books. He also asked me which one is my fave and I told him the quote from Golden Son.


LOVE YOU, LOVE!
I just love this author to bits and I hope that no matter how big he gets, he won't forget his fans who were there from the beginning! This signing is everything I have ever hoped for and I am sooooooooooo grateful that National Bookstore brought him here. I wish I could post the vid of me shrieking, flailing and crying when I was told he'd visit (I couldn't because it was embarrassing!). This series opened up so many doors for me and helped me love Sci-Fi even more! Thanks, Pierce!


Completed Series, all signed.
National Bookstore, Chad, JB and the rest of the gang: You know how much I am forever grateful to you and your generosity. THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART THAT YOU MADE THIS HAPPEN AND I WILL NEVER EVER FORGET IT. SUPER THANK YOU!

Were you there at the signing? What was your favorite part?

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

MEET AND GREET: INTERVIEW WITH PIERCE BROWN.


After years of wishing, screaming, flailing, praying and dreaming, it finally came true. THE dream of meeting Pierce Brown finally happened. And as of this writing, my heart is so so full of joy and I am still on cloud 9 so I might be incoherent again. My knees are still shaking and there's this weird thing in my stomach that I couldn't get rid of. It was just the best day ever I was sooooo hungover by it that it took me 3 weeks to get this recap up!


I was invited by National Bookstore for a 30-minute Meet and Greet with Pierce last August 27 in Raffles. Together with Kai of Amaterasu Reads and JM of The Book Freak Revelations, we went there with so much anticipation. Of course there would be so much anticipation, imagine waiting for this thing to happen since 2014. Pierce was actually at the lobby (I AM FUCKING SHAKING BY JUST REMEMBERING THE ENCOUNTER) and he came and greeted us AND WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK, HE'S TALL, VERY GOOD LOOKING AND ABSOLUTELY DREAMY! He's wearing a simple white shirt, denim jeans, white sneakers and a leather jacket like he just came out of an action movie shoot. We then proceeded to one of the corners in the lobby and started the interview.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I introduced myself as the head of his Twitter Street Team, @PBRownPH (which I couldn't remember the password for, damn), and I said we're his PH Gang and I believe he remembered. I couldn't keep my eyes off of him because IS THIS EVEN REAL LIFE?? His eyes are the lightest shade of blue I have ever seen and it's actually bordering to light gray? I was just there, shocked, mezmerized, and wishing hard that that moment won't end.


It wasn't really a formal interview but more like we were there to talk to a friend. He made us feel so comfortable and he made us laugh so much, OMG HE IS HILARIOUS I TELL YA. We did ask questions and he did too so here are some of the bits and pieces from our 23-minute convo:

- He loves Adobo.
- He thought LA traiffic is the worst but I said, welcome to Manila!
- There will be no spoilers for Morning Star during our convo because Kai and I haven't finished reading it yet (thank you, Pierce) and that we have to finish it because Iron Gold is coming out soon.
- Pierce is a huge fan of Game of Thrones. He didn't have more to read after A Feast For Crows so he wrote books while waiting for A Dance with Dragons.
- He hopes he could top RR series with Iron Gold.
- There are 4 more characters he explored in Iron Gold and since we couldn't really get into it without spoiling MS, he only exclaimed: THE STRUGGLE IS REAL
- His favorite character is definitely Sevro (yaaaay) but their only similarity is the swear words because he has way better hygiene haha
- Character deaths he kinda regret: Lorn, Nero, Fitchner, Tactus
- The characters he would bring to life are: Viktra so he could date her wahaha, Tactus because he loved his character and Lorn because it's fun to see how he would respond to Darrow
*talks about GoT S7 EP 06* (yep, we did)
- Golden Son's ending wasn't planned at all. He initially ended it with a happy wedding but then his editor said it doesn't feel right. So Pierce went the complete opposite direction and his editor said *in Pierce's deep voice*: WHAT. THE. FUCK.
- We told him how heartbreaking the ending was and he said: "I am delighted to be able to invoke any emotion in you whatsoever." that's verbatim I mind you.
- We asked him what was going on in his head because Morning Star's initial chapters were so brutal already and he said he was in a deprivation tank for 3 hours so he could get in to Darrow's head for those scenes. Aaaahhh creepy.
- The gravboots weren't inspired by Starwars but his vision of Nero landing in front of EO in Book 1
- If given a chance to change the endings, he wouldn't change anything but perhaps add a little bit more, like more of the Jackal and Darrow in Luna and he would explore the underworld of the said planet.
- He is also open to writing novellas - Lorn's and then Servo's POV on his Pluto Journey
- When asked how does it feel to be a published author at 24 (he was 24 when RR was published), he said he doesn't stop thinking about it, he's aggressive about it, that it's wonderful finishing MS, it's a big validation for sure and the best feeling is sharing the experience with readers who get to imagine the world he built.
- The movie is developing, he will share more in the coming months. It was bought by Universal and he wrote the scripts.
- Casting for Darrow - someone unknown, it's really about finding someone who can show the emotion and has to have the presence, should also be terrifying for the part
- He is also writing a fantasy series called LampLight (wooohoooo!)
- We taught him SALAMAT
- We showed him our Golden Son ARCs and he loved it!
- I told him it was a dream come true to meet him and he said we were very pretty persistent on Twitter (which confirms he noticed HAHAHA)

HE IS SO AMAZING, ISN'T HE??

After the short interview ( I SWEAR I DIDN'T WANT IT TO END), we asked if he could sign our books and take photos with him. You see, I wasn't really myself in the course of this interview because ughhhh I forgot to:
- ask for a short video for his message to fans and
- take a #KaiSelfie (Kaiiiiiii!!!)
I mean, I dunno man but I was just simply on cloud nine floating and unbelievably grateful for this wonderful chance~~~~~



I will never ever ever ever forget this day to be honest. I waited a long time for this to actually happen - wait no... I actually gave up! I wasn't expecting this anymore. So THANK YOU SO EVER MUCH PIERCE FOR COMING TO MANILA!!!! It truly means so so much to me, to all your fans here!!

BEST! DAY!!!! EVEEEERRRRR!!
QUESTION: WHAT WOULD YOU ASK PIERCE BROWN IN PERSON?
THANK YOU NATIONAL BOOKSTOREEEEEEEEEE!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOUUUUUU!

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

THE BREAKER OF CHAINS IS COMING.


How to even start this without getting too excited? I don't know really. There's no intro beautiful enough that could do justice to how much joy I am feeling right now. *shakes head* No, there isn't. Words will never be enough for something as huge as this.


If you have been following me on Twitter for quite some time now, you would know how much I loved Red Rising and Golden Son. *starts getting nervous* There was so much shouting and pleading for help in the course of the my reading. Both books were insanely good. *starts crying* Right then, all I ever wished for was to meet him.

As if the heavens heard me (us, I know heehee), here I am now, typing this blog post. The stars have aligned for this to happen, not just to me but to his Filipino fans.

AND IT IS FINALLY GOING TO FUCKING HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!!! (!!!!!!!!!!!!)

I wish I could post the video of me stealthily taken by my brother. This video contains tears, squeals, flails and some more inhuman noise I wasn't expecting I was capable of creating. It was when I was told that he will be visiting. Just to give you an idea, you may want to check out my ridiculously loud thread: Click Me

Grabbed from NBS' Facebook Page
OH-MY-GODDDDDD!!!!!!!!

Pierce will have a signing event here in Manila this August. It is for The Philippine Readers and Writers Festival on the 25th to 27th! I don't have the full details yet but watch his and National Bookstore's pages for more info. Schedules should be announced soon! You can also check the events' FB Page!

I have been pushing this book to people since 2014 and if you aren't convinced enough, here are my reviews:

4 stars for Red Rising
"Red Rising is absolutely heart-racing, hair-raising and mind-blowing take on a very cruel sci-fi world. It speaks a language so uniquely and tells a story so admirably. Holding distinct characters as its strength, it doesn't stop there. Love, revenge, and freedom are cooking in such impeccable way that tasting Red Rising would have you begging for more."
8 stars for Golden Son
"Intoxicating and nerve-wracking, Golden Son brings full blast of action and suspense that will leave you grasping for air. With a remarkable plot and shocking ending, Book 3 couldn't be here fast enough. It holds love, loss and vengeance in its center that if this incredibly phenomenal sequel will not break you, I don't know what else will."
SEE YOU SOON, PIERCE BROWN!!! AND THANK YOU NATIONAL BOOKSTORE FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY!!! AAAAAHHHHH!
 

Friday, December 26, 2014

REVIEW: GOLDEN SON BY PIERCE BROWN.

Title: Golden Son
Author: Pierce Brown
Series: Red Rising #2
Edition: Kindle
Publication:  January 6, 2015 by Del Rey (Random House)
Source: eARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley
Pages: 400
Genre: Dystopia, Sci-Fi

Synopsis:

With shades of The Hunger Games, Ender’s Game, and Game of Thrones, debut author Pierce Brown’s genre-defying epic Red Rising hit the ground running and wasted no time becoming a sensation.

Golden Son continues the stunning saga of Darrow, a rebel forged by tragedy, battling to lead his oppressed people to freedom from the overlords of a brutal elitist future built on lies. Now fully embedded among the Gold ruling class, Darrow continues his work to bring down Society from within.

A life-or-death tale of vengeance with an unforgettable hero at its heart, Golden Son guarantees Pierce Brown’s continuing status as one of fiction’s most exciting new voices.

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE:

Oh, boy. This is going to be a long one.

If you loved Red Rising and can think of a word better than love, then that's what I feel for Golden Son. Afraid it may fall under the Middle Book Syndrome? As early as now, listen to me. It is not even close to any syndrome known to middle books because when it comes to this series, Golden Son is waaaaaaaaaaay even better than the first. It surpassed whatever standards Red Rising set. You know, with flying colors.

Golden Son took off years after Darrow succeeded in the Institute. Left in the dark by the Sons, he has to find a way to make the cause work on his own. Together with his Peerless Scarred friends, he stretches all of what's left of him to pursue what Eo wanted him to do -- break the chains and live for more. In his saga to conspiring civil war against Octavia, betrayal and loss await him. He has to brave what lies ahead, whatever the cost maybe. One thing which conflicts him though, some Golds are more than their color.

I read Golden Son slowly. Like, I was torturing myself in the slowest way possible. I need to take breaks every chapter to tweet, breathe, pull my hair and be prepared for what the next page will bring. It makes breathing so hard and I mean this literally. Like, every page makes me dread for all of the characters I fell in love with because Golden Son was surely full of unwavering surprises. Surprises beyond what one could have anticipated. I took my time (and when I say time, it means weeks) because savoring each fantastically crafted scenes would just leave you breathless. I hyperventilated, palpitated and didn't sleep because aside from this book is unputdownable, the suspense, gore and politics are amazingly plotted and well-executed.

Golden Son wasn't what I expected it to be. Golden Son, with all the innards flying across the battle field, skyrocketed my expectations. It is true that I loved Pierce Brown even before I read Red Rising but this book made me love him harder. Not only that, the respect I have for him rooted deeper. His work, this work, this is a masterpiece. Nothing to compare it to. Absolutely shocking, stunning, breaking. Brown owned it as if there isn't any book written under the genre. His voice, style, personality and love for his work all showed in the story. Here I get to appreciate the dedication and passion Brown has for his craft. Written magnificently, Golden Son is one book to look forward to.. one book worth bragging about.. a book worth sharing to the world.

Brown honed his writing thoroughly. I was annoyed by how much "bloodydamns" I've seen on Red Rising but here, I understood its importance. The sequence of events, despite the time set in between, is utterly seamless. Character development, I kid you not, justifies the different personalities, motives and approach. Brown made sure that his characters developed fully to portray each roles with such intensity and perfection.

Darrow embraced the life of a Gold in such humbling way. Despite the ups and downs in his life, the power in his hands, he's not afraid to show vulnerability. He still gets scared and the pain he endures every time a life is lost, makes him a great protagonist. His ability to be a warrior and his strategic planet-invasion planning aren't only his strength, but he draws it from his friends. He knows when to be a smartass and when to be emotional. In the middle of betrayal and loss, the heart of the Golden Son shone brighter, felt tender, loved deeper. It was unbelievable that such mighty and god-like characters like Darrow, Augustus and Sevro (I love you, Sevro) could still have raw emotions.

The curves of the story almost drove me mad. With exhilarating anticipation for the twists to unfold, I was left paralyzed. Nothing could have warned me enough on what state my heart would be at. I was crushed, devastated, shattered over and over yet each pain made me fall in love deeper. I was brutally damaged after Golden Son. I will never be the same, ever again. Ever.

Intoxicating and nerve-wracking, Golden Son brings full blast of action and suspense that will leave you grasping for air. With a remarkable plot and shocking ending, Book 3 couldn't be here fast enough. It holds love, loss and vengeance in its center that if this incredibly phenomenal sequel will not break you, I don't know what else will.

Thank you Random House and Netgalley for the eARC!

"It's not victory that makes a man, It's his defeats."
 "What scraps you have been given by your betters, cherish. What favor you curried, remember."
"Everyone's honest till they're caught in a lie."
"We're all just wounded souls stumbling about in the dark, desperately trying to stitch ourselves together, hoping to fill the holes they ripped in us."
""Feels good. That's how I know it's right, Reap. Despite all this shit. It feels good in here." He taps his thin chest. "It feels... how do you say.. bloodydamn good.""
"My name has nothing to do with who I am."
"One word shatters a thousand lies."
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