Review: "Legend" by Marie Lu

Warning: This review may does contain spoilers.

Dystopian sci-fi has really been on fire for the last few years, and Legend by Marie Lu is one of the newest installments to the genre. I actually stumbled onto this novel on Amazon, while searching for new dystopian novels. The premise sounded pretty good, so I decided to ask for it as a part of my Christmas book bundle.

Available on Amazon for $12.23

And I was not disappointed.

Legend is set in a far future America, ravaged by natural disasters (go figure), that has split into the Republic of America and the Colonies. The Republic is ruled by an "elected" Elector Primo, and the entire society is severely weighed toward militaristic. There is little to no equality among the people, with the small upper class being extremely wealthy and practically everyone else living in the slums.

However, all children from both classes are forced to undergo the "Trial," which is a supposedly fair test of intelligence, physical strength, and mental stability. The children who score very highly get their choice of university and occupation. Those in the middle ranges get to go to college, but don't end up in the most lucrative positions. Those in the lower ranges end up in the slums.

Those who fail get carted off to "labor camps."

Oh, and did I mention they take this "Trial" at age ten?

So, like usual, you have the dystopian totalitarian-style government that wrongs the majority of its people, torments them with poverty and militaristic police, and kills off any dissidents without a second thought.

Standard setup, yes, but Lu executes it well.

It's her characters, however, that really shine. The novel centers around the pampered military prodigy, June, and the young master criminal, Day, who get caught up in each others' lives when Day is accused of murdering June's brother, Metias, during an attempted theft of a cure for the plague that has sickened his younger brother.

From here, everything quickly spins out of control for both of them. Day's slum-dwelling family is forced to watch as the youngest brother gets sicker and sicker, and Day struggles to find a way to get the cure for him. His plight is compounded by the fact that he can't visit them in plain sight. His mother thinks he's dead, and there's a massive price on his head as the Republic's most wanted.

Meanwhile, June, shell-shocked by her brother's sudden death (and thus, the death of her only guardian), ends up recruited by her brother's former commander. She is graduated early from her university and immediately sent on a mission to track down Day. She also finds herself having to fend off advances from her and her brother's closest friend, Thomas, who continually attempts to get closer to her despite her rejections.

If there's anything I can say about Lu's story, it's that it never stops going. There are no pauses in the plot, no point at which the action wanes. As soon as her characters and story are set in motion, they just keep speeding up right until the end.

As expected, June and Day end up meeting in the slums while June is undercover, neither knowing who the other is. They gradually strike up a friendship (and, this being YA, a budding romance), and it's striking even to the reader (well, at least to me) how alike they are. Both highly intelligent. Both cunning. Both physically skilled. They see details in the same way. They dissect situations expertly. They're basically exact counterparts of one another, which I was quite happy to discover because it really makes Lu's points about their society come across loud and clear.

After their meeting, a rapid set of events unfolds, wherein June realizes who Day is, gets him captured, and then suddenly stumbles upon the truth about their society: those who fail the Trial don't get sent to labor camps. They get experimented on and killed. And not only that, but Day, who supposedly failed his Trial, actually got a perfect score (where June was supposed to be the first one ever to do so). They only claimed he failed. Why?

Well, June never discovers the reason herself, but it's heavily implied that they sent Day to die because they found him too "rebellious." Because the only thing more dangerous than a "dumb" rebellious boy from the slums is an ingenious one.

On top of all that, June realizes that her brother--who uncovered the truth--was actually killed by the military (read: his own "friend," Thomas) for doing so, and that Day was just set up to take the blame. And if that wasn't bad enough, the government also killed her parents after her father, a medical doctor, uncovered the truth about the ever-lasting and evolving  "plague": that it is purposefully given to the slum-dwellers in order to test it as a viable weapon for the war against the Colonies.

 Horrified by the government and what she's done, she sets up a plan to break Day out a prison before his execution. And, of course, she succeeds (or else this novel would be very sad and probably be a stand alone).

At the end, you're left with the quite the setup: Day's sick brother, Eden, who's been infected with a mutated plague, has been carted off to the front lines for military "uses." June and Day, now both fugitives, are on the run, and their only hope for survival may be the Colonies that the Republic has fought so hard to destroy.

So, my overall impressions of this story are quite good. It is predictable at times, but then again, it is YA, so you can't expect it to be overly complicated. The characters are a shining point for Lu, and I can't wait to read some more of their adventures. Her setting, while "standard" for a dystopian story, is well-designed and believable. And really, you can't ask for much else.

Although, I should mention something that really got me: the book design. If you buy this book, buy it in print. The design of this book extends beyond the cover. The fonts for June and Day's POVs are different, and Day's chapters are actually printed in a shade of gold. It's quite pretty and very different from your average book.

So, to read or not to read? I say read it. You certainly don't stand to lose much, and it's a fairly entertaining story. I can't wait to read the sequels.

Rating: A-

Review: "The Hunger Games" trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Warning: This review may contain spoilers.

The Hunger Games trilogy has generated a lot of buzz recently, mostly due to the upcoming (and fantastic looking) movie adaptation of the first book. So I decided to bump it up on my to-read list. And I wasn't disappointed.

Available on Amazon for $5.39

For those unfamiliar with the trilogy, it's set in a dystopian future America, called Panem, where various unnamed wars and environmental catastrophes have devastated the human race and left much of the Earth's landmass underwater. Panem is ruled by a totalitarian regime called the Capitol, that showers itself in wealth while enslaving the people within its twelve districts. Each district has a specific trade that nearly everyone is expected (and forced) to contribute to.

The defining mark of the Capitol regime is "the Hunger Games," an annual event where both a male and female tribute from each district are forced to fight to the death in a massive booby-trap ridden arena as perpetual punishment for an uprising in a time called "the Dark Days."

The trilogy follows the life of a teenager named Katniss, who volunteers to take the place of her younger sister as a tribute from District 12. In the first book, The Hunger Games itself, Katniss fights for her life both in the arena using her honed survival skills and within the cut-throat (literally) politics of the Capitol. Her mentor, former Hunger Games victor Haymitch, who knows how to play the Capitol's political games, sets Katniss and fellow District 12 tribute, Peeta, up as a pair of "star-crossed" lovers, a theme that follows them throughout the entire trilogy.

The Hunger Games themselves are quite brutal to read through (and I imagine will be even more brutal to watch), as the scenes of the "Games" involve children killing each other in the most horrible ways imaginable. However, they mark the center of a well-written and poignant story about the nature of humanity and its relationship with power.

The end of the The Hunger Games is predictable (I saw it coming for a while), but that doesn't make it any less effective. In fact, it makes it even more so, especially as you learn more and more about the other tributes and become attached to them as well.

Available on Amazon for $8.99

The beginning of the trilogy, in my opinion, is a perfect execution of the kind of world that Collins was going for. It has the perfect amount of drama, violence, and romance, all wrapped up in a powerful moral message that's lessons are defined by the abundant corruption seen on just about every page of the book.

So, the first book is an amazing read. But what about the other two?

The second book in the trilogy, Catching Fire, begins to shift the story away from the corruption itself and more onto its effects on Katniss. The major plot still chugs along just fine, but the focus on Katniss' emotional state as the story progresses is much sharper and incredibly shocking. And Collins pulls this off perfectly as well.


I often see a lot of authors gloss over ambivalence in their characters, as if keeping them "steady" is realistic. But Collins doesn't fall for this. She shows every little mistake, every moment of confusion, that Katniss experiences throughout, and if this doesn't make Katniss a realistic heroine, then I don't know what does.

One of the things I enjoyed most from Catching Fire is the abundance of new characters. Since most of the characters you come to love in The Hunger Games actually end up dead by the end, they need some good replacements. And Collins delivers, in my opinion, even better ones. This is because Catching Fire revolves around the "Quarter Quell," which is a Hunger Games round where the normal rules are thrown out the window and a special set of tributes is chosen.

And, of course, this Quarter Quell's tributes...are chosen from the previous winners. Seeing as Katniss is the only female winner from District 12, she automatically has to compete. You see, in the first book, Katniss uses a trick to save both her and Peeta's life (since there is usually only one winner).

The "president" of Panem, Snow, and makers of the Hunger Games, therefore, are humiliated and shamed. And beyond that, Katniss' defiance of the Capitol's rules sets off a rebellious streak in all twelve districts.

And so a target is painted on Katniss. One that is not erased until the very end of the trilogy.

Available on Amazon for $8.98

Catching Fire then proceeds to introduce some of the most memorable characters ever. Since the contestants are past tributes, they each bring heavy histories and emotional baggage to the Quarter Quell. They also bring a plan to break out of the arena, unbeknownst to Katniss. To me, following the stories and plans of these new characters was far more compelling than the ones from The Hunger Games.

And so, at the end of Catching Fire, we are left with a setup that promises a grand finale.

Then we get to Mockingjay.

I'd seen a lot of people around before I started the series who didn't like Mockingjay, and after starting the series, I kept wondering why. Then I actually got to it, and I understood perfectly.

Mockingjay is not like the first two books. Whereas the focus in the first two is split about evenly between the main plot line and Katniss' emotions and thoughts, the final book suddenly tips the scales toward the latter. By a lot. While the plot still marches onward toward an exciting, horrifying, and bittersweet finale, its often overshadowed by Katniss' collapsing mental state.

There were times in the book when the only thing I could focus on was Katniss' obvious and severe post-traumatic stress disorder. She ends up in the hospital so many times, drugged up on the equivalent of morphine and suffering endless nightmares, that I often forgot what else was actually happening.

I still like Mockingjay, quite a lot, but it is hard to have the same feelings for it as I do for the first two. The story descends into a pit of severe depression and mental trauma that it never really climbs out of, and it tended to jar me a bit out of the story as a whole every now and then.

Now, don't get me wrong. The events of Mockingjay and Katniss' declining mental state were obviously planned by Collins to have this effect on the reader. Collins doesn't spare any expense to make you feel the pain her characters are in and to understand why they're suffering. It's plainly obvious that one of Collins' major points was to make the world of The Hunger Games universe as real as it could possibly be.

And she succeeded, in my opinion, because there really is no getting around the fact that the mental and emotional trauma, the horrors of war, and the stress that her characters face are eerily and horrifically realistic. But at the same time, that level of realism has the potential to turn some readers off, especially since the series is YA.

So, while I find that the series as a whole is a dystopian masterpiece, I will warn you now that it descends into some very dark and disturbing places. You will watch as teenagers have their lives completely destroyed, their families killed and tortured, their minds left in tatters, and their emotions horrifically distorted. Permanently.

And even at end of all things, you won't find any real happiness. You'll find realism. And that realism entails the depiction of horrors of totalitarianism and war and its lasting effects on the people who experience it.

So, The Hunger Games trilogy. Dark. Thrilling. Poignant. Realistic. Should you read it? Definitely. 

The Hunger Games Rating: A+

Catching Fire Rating: A+

Mockingjay Rating: A

Overall Series Rating: A+

Reading: Top 5 Books of 2011

I haven't had a whole lot of time to read this year (because of a killer college semester), but somehow, I did manage to stuff quite a few books into these last few weeks of the year (though I unfortunately wasn't able to get all the most popular ones). So, without further ado (seeing as how New Years is tomorrow), here are my top five reads of 2011!

5.) The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa- Though its ending was predictable, I really liked the plot of this book. It had my favorite characters from the entire series, all journeying toward the equivalent of the edge of the Earth, and finding some pretty awesome and terrifying things along the way. Good way to top off a decent series, I thought.



4.) Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr- I've always liked Marr's depiction of faeries, and while (yet again) I found the ending contrived, I found the novel as a whole a great ending to the Wicked Lovely series. All the characters' conflicts seem to explode at once into this fantastical all out war zone that existed right beneath ignorant eyes of the human world.

3.) City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare- I was hesitant at first to read this, if only because an "extension" of what was originally supposed to be a trilogy rarely works out well. But I found that Clare did a damn good job with it. The story makes sense, is dramatic, and picks up right where the trilogy left off without a single hitch. I especially like this book's focus on Simon, as he's been one of my favorite characters throughout, and I'm highly interested in seeing where the last two books of The Mortal Instruments takes him.

2.) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins- Ha, this didn't come out in 2011, but I, unfortunately, just got around to reading the series. I wasn't sure what to expect, and the first person, present tense through me for a loop, but I think that it does indeed hold up to its hype, and I'm very excited for the March-release movie. I'm currently reading the second installment of the series, Catching Fire.

1.) Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare- Had I finished more of the books in my current to-read stack (like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Daughter of Smoke and Bone), Clare probably wouldn't have had two entries on the list. But even then, Clockwork Prince would likely have still been number one. There is really no getting past how far Clare has come since City of Bones. This book is a dramatic wonder, and despite the fact that there's only one real battle scene in the entire novel, it still came off as one of the most exciting stories of the year. The writing, the plot, the character dynamics...everything has been ramped up in this book, and I've never been more exasperated by a book-release wait time than I am for the final installment of The Infernal Devices.

Review: "The Iron Fey" Series by Julie Kagawa

Available on Amazon for $9.99

Warning: This review may contain spoilers.

I'm going to something that I rarely do: review an entire series. I've seen Kagawa's books floating around for a while now, but I didn't get around to buying them (all four) until yesterday. And I'm rather split on whether they were good purchases or not. But before I make any conclusions, lets go through the pros and the cons.

The series begins with The Iron King, which introduces us the series' protagonist, Meghan Chase, and Kagawa's interpretation of the land of Faery, or the "Nevernever." I have to admit, I almost stopped reading this just a few pages in. The stereotypical female worries and complaints and the cliche teen angst almost drove me right over the edge.

Thankfully, I decided to stick to it and kept reading. By the end, I was convinced that was a good decision. Kagawa's writing eventually evens out, and while the whole Scott Waldren thing annoyed me throughout, I felt that her development of Meghan was handled expertly.

Available on Amazon for $9.99

As the series continues into the The Iron Daughter and The Iron Queen, however, I felt myself begin to lose interest in Meghan's story. I knew where it would end up early on, and I felt like it became more of a "fulfilling one's destiny" plot line than anything else. I found myself drawn to the other characters more than the protagonist, and I was far more concerned with the conflict between Puck and Ash than I was with Meghan's various conflicts.

Her portrayal of the Summer and Winter courts was, on the other hand, fabulous, and their respective monarchs were--while having the expected personalities--quite refreshing characters. Their continual presence throughout the entire series provides a sort of balancing force that prevents the books from losing any steam along the way.

As for the other characters, my feelings are...well, split. I loved the portrayal of Puck (in fact, I loved the portrayal of the known fey in general; I feel Kagawa pulled it off quite well). His presence was a highlight throughout every book, and his witty dialogue really kept me going. His place as a member of the main love triangle was also a shining point. His internal struggles revealed him to be a well-developed, complex character.

Available on Amazon for $9.99

Grimalkin comes in as a close second to Puck on my favorites' list. While his perpetual disappearing acts began to get old by The Iron Knight (the last book), his stinging sarcasm never did. He balanced out the others characters quite nicely. The only real down side to Grimalkin was that I feel he served as a plot device too often. Basically, the entire series revolves around Grimalkin showing the characters exactly what to do and where to go with (with a snarky attitude).

The only character I have a real problem with is Ash. I tried to like him, really I did (and I do like many things about him), but I felt his part was just too predictable. In The Iron Daughter, I had his entire role completely figured out from the beginning. And it's only compounded in The Iron Knight. The entirety of the latter is told from Ash's POV (which, of course, makes it more of an outlier extra book added to what would otherwise be a decent trilogy, as the first three are from Meghan's POV), and there were a lot of parts that just had me rolling my eyes.

The appearance of Ariella, Ash's lost love, however, threw me for a bit, and I was interested to see where Kagawa would take it. Unfortunately, that too was entirely predictable, and from about the middle of the book onward, you know exactly what's going to happen to her.

Available on Amazon for $9.99

I think one of my favorite things about the series is the iron fey themselves. They're an odd bunch, and characters like Ironhorse, Glitch, Tertius, and the pack rats really add some interesting flavor to the series. The depiction of the Iron Kingdom was quite impressive as well. Acid rain that's really acid. A giant city, abandoned at the beginning of time by an extinct race of giant fey. Huge contraptions and buildings made of broken technology. The contrast to the other "natural" kingdoms and obvious (as I assume it is intended to be), but even then, it is quite stark and poignant, a reminder of how humanity has changed.

My overall feelings on this series are very conflicted. On the one hand, there are many characters I adore, and a lot of them are very well developed. In general, the plot isn't so predictable that it becomes boring, but there are parts I saw coming from a mile away.

Would I recommend this series?

Yes, I would. It is predictable in many places, and there are a few cliches. But in general, the characters are well thought out, the action is continuous and interesting and unexpected, and the plot as a whole is very original.

The Iron King Rating: B-

The Iron Daughter Rating: B

The Iron Queen Rating: B+ 

The Iron Knight Rating: B+

Overall Series Rating: B

Review: "Clockwork Prince" by Cassandra Clare

Warning: This review may contain spoilers. 

Holy crap. This has been sitting in my room, in an Amazon box, waiting for me to get home from college and tear it open for a week. And it was so worth all the longing and impatience.

Clockwork Prince, Infernal Devices #2
Available on Amazon for $11.09

My first impressions?

This is a thousand times better than the first book of the Infernal Devices series (Clockwork Angel). I mean, it was just that good.

I've been a fan of Clare for a while now. She doesn't take herself too seriously, slipping in as much sarcasm and humor as writer-ly possible. And I like that in an author. It makes her characterization far more natural, in my opinion.

But this? This is taking it to a whole new level.

Review: Supernatural S7, Episode 5

Warning: This review will contain spoilers. And opinions. Lots of them. (This review in particular also contains some graphic images.)

This season of Supernatural began with a bit of a bore. Cas dissolved into Leviathans, who are apparently generic monster-types whose only distinguishing figures are hilarious mouths and being invincible. For the first couple episodes, Sam was stuck having hallucinations of Lucifer (which were awesome), but now they've kind vanished. Much like any coherent plot. Thus far, Dean's personality has been completely maimed, Bobby's house has been burned down, the highlight of the season is the Egyptian God Osiris' personality.

Yeah, now let's talk about this episode...

Review: Vampire Diaries S3, Episode 6

Warning: This review will contain spoilers. And opinions. Lots of them. 

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Oh, yes! It's VD time again. And what a time!

Last week, we ended with Klaus forcing Stefan to turn off his emotions. Unfortunately, Klaus then gets Stefan to stay behind in Mystic Falls to watch Elena, whose blood Klaus needs in order to make hybrids. Tyler becomes Klaus' first test of that and gained the title of "first successful hybrid." Meanwhile, Matt kills himself temporarily in order to talk to Vicky, but gets more than he bargained for when he keeps seeing her after Bonnie revives him. Lastly, off on another adventure, Katherine finds Mikael, the vampire who hunts other vampires, and attempts to revive him in order to get him to kill Klaus.

Now we pick up from there.

Review: Supernatural S7, Episode 4

Warning: This review will contains spoilers. And opinions. Lots of them.

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Well, I haven't been impressed so far with season 7, but this episode appeared to be offering something decent. 

But before I get into that, let's recap.

Season 7 began with Cas exploding into a mass of Leviathans, who went off and possessed a bunch of different people to wreak havoc. Thus far, their presence has only been felt in short bursts. We know that they're looking for Sam and Dean and that they have a "boss" of some sort. And that they eat people. That's about it. Last episode gave us some more insight into Sam's past. Turns out he knew a kitsune named Amy (Jewel Staite), and the case he'd stumbled onto was her doing. He let her go. Unfortunately, Dean found out about it and killed her. Without telling Sam. 

And now we pick up where we left off.

Review: Vampire Diaries, S3, Episode 5

Warning: This review will contain spoilers. And opinions. Lots of them.

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Well, it's that time of the week once more. And what a time it is! Last night's episode was quite possibly the best one yet (depending on how you look at it). It was certainly the most dramatic and action-packed so far. 

But let's recap a bit first.

The first few episodes left us with a few major developments: 1) Stefan and Klaus were friends back in the day. 2) Rebekah, Klaus' sister, was revived. 3) Jeremy can now communicate with spirits. 4) In order to find out how to create hybrids, Klaus needs to contact the original witch. 5) In order to do so, he needs Rebekah's necklace, aka Elena's necklace. And finally, 6) After discovering Stefan was lying to him, Klaus took him back to Mystic Falls. 

Review: "The Doll" by J.C. Martin

Warning: This review will contains spoilers. And opinions. Lots of them. 

Bet you weren't expecting any literary reviews from me any time soon, huh? Well, neither was I. Until I received a free copy of the ebook, "The Doll", by J.C. Martin for my participation in REN3. Seeing as I just finally got around to reading it, I figured I owed the dear author a review.

Review: Supernatural S7, Episode 3

Warning: This review will contains spoilers. And opinions. Lots of them.

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Well, I'm home for Fall Break now, and while I do have some work to do, I can finally write and blog in relative peace. For three more days at least...

So, on that note, let's get on to the review for my dear old Supernatural.

As of now, I'm not very impressed with the direction that Gamble is taking this season, but regardless, she's somehow managed to stuff this season's ideas into a (misshapen) plot box.

Review: Vampire Diaries S3, Episode 4

Warning: This review will contains spoilers. And opinions. Lots of them.

____________

Sorry I missed this yesterday, but I had a paper to finish. =P

Anyway, quick recap!

Last time, on the Vampire Diaries, we were greeted to a shocking flashback in which we saw that Klaus and Stefan (as well as Klaus' sister Rebekah) knew each other back in the 1920's. In fact, they were all good friends. But when a mysterious hunter showed up to kill Klaus, he bailed, wiping Stefan's memory of their friendship. Rebekah, due to her feelings for Stefan, received an impromptu "original death." 

In the present, Elena and Damon went Stefan hunting, Klaus brought Rebekah back to life so they could use her help to find out why Klaus couldn't make hybrids, and we found out that the thing they need to contact the original witch to find out why Klaus couldn't make hybrids is a necklace.

The necklace that Stefan gave Elena.

This episode is even better.

Review: Supernatural S7, Episode 2

Warning: This review will contains spoilers. And opinions. Lots of them.

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Oh, yes. It's that time of the week. 

Beginning with my typical recap, the premiere episode (though a bit lackluster) left us with a lot of questions. Castiel apparently "dies," and his vessel is taken over by the Leviathans, a group of beings who were the original creatures trapped in Purgatory. After taking control, they proceeded to attack Dean and Bobby, and that was where we ended last time. While that was all happening, Sam was off who-knows-where getting his mind screwed over by a hallucination of Lucifer (who (successfully?) attempted to convince Sam that he was still trapped in hell and that all of the past year or so had been a hallucination). 

Now we start where we ended.

Review: Vampire Diaries S3, Episode 3

Warning: This review will contains spoilers. And opinions. Lots of them.

__________________

Oh, yes! It's that time again.

Last time, we were left with several lingering questions. What exactly is happening with Jeremy? What is Caroline in for now that's she stuck in that basement cell with her father, who seems to be about to torture her. Meanwhile, a disappointed Klaus heads off to find out why he can't create hybrids. 

This episode, we're greeted to quite a few shocks. Elena and Damon go Stefan hunting and get more than they bargained for. Their journey leads them to Chicago, where (surprise, surprise) Klaus and Stefan have showed up to question an "old" witch, Gloria, about contacting the spirit of "the original witch" in order to find out why he can't create that hybrid army that he wants.

Review: The Secret Circle, Episode 2

This is, unfortunately, very late due to the amount of school work I had this week, but here it is finally (the day before episode 3 comes out...-snort-).

When I heard about The Secret Circle and found out it was yet another L.J. Smith work, I was immediately cautious. I'm not a fan of Smith's writing, but The Vampire Diaries TV adaptation blew me away, so I decided to give this one a chance too.

And truthfully, it was a lot like I expected to be. The tone is a bit more juvenile. The characters don't appear or act nearly as old as the VD characters, and the show (thus far) seems a bit lighter in terms of hardcore violence (specifically bloody/gore) than its predecessor.

Like usual, before I begin the review, let's recap on the premiere episode.

Review: Supernatural Season 7 Premiere

Warning: This review will contains spoilers. And opinions. Lots of them.

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Before I begin, I must admit that I wasn't sure where season 7 would be heading. I like Cas--a lot--and I was worried about what they were planning for him. (And yet, even after this premiere, I'm still not so clear on where this is heading.) For most of season 6, I felt a bit let down (the "mother of all", anyone?), and I was hoping for some redemption in the story line this season.

My first thoughts after the episode ended, unfortunately, were still ambivalent. But before I explain why, let's recap.

At the end of season 6, we were left with two major problems. In order to defeat Raphael, Castiel absorbed all the souls in purgatory after tricking Raphael and Crowley with an old 'bait and switch.' Super-charged, he pulled a snap-and-explode a la Lucifer and splattered Raphael all over the room. Unfortunately, the massive amount of souls and power warped his mind and left him thinking he was the 'new God.'

Review: Vampire Diaries S3, Episode 2

Warning: This review will contains spoilers. And opinions. Lots of them.

______________

I missed reviewing the premiere, so let's recap.
 
The new season begins with Stefan tagging along with Klaus, who's on a mission to create a hybrid army. Stefan, while still retaining some of his human side, has almost completely lost his mind, and he now kills on a whim. 

Elena (it's her birthday!), now without a guardian or a boyfriend, is left to pick up the pieces and move on. But of course, we're talking about Elena, so she won't move on. Ever. Unfortunately, every time she finds a clue to Stefan's location, Damon and Alaric do their best to make sure it amounts to nothing. 


Damon, on the other hand, has been actively tracking Stefan's every location, and he knows exactly who Stefan is killing and how. Except he won't tell Elena. Because he wants to protect her. The typical motive.