Love this video interview with Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to enter the Boston Marathon. Listen to what happened in the race, and how significant it was for all modern female athletes. Truly inspiring!

*Recommended for older readers: explicit scenes

Life in the Wolf Clan is never easy; for fifteen year old Teia it is even harder. As the concubine of the late chief, she finds herself in a perilous political position. Should she be with child, the sadistic new chief, Drwyn, may take measures to keep the child from ever having a claim to leadership. Her only choice, one that will estrange her from her family, is to become his concubine. This step puts her right into the terrifying and powerful clan Speaker’s sights. Although untrained, Teia has powers that she must keep a secret at all costs. Visions of death haunt her, though, and it seems as though Drwyn and the Speaker are leading her clan down a path of destruction.

Meanwhile, Gair is mourning the loss of his lover. He longs for revenge or oblivion, but his mentor, Alderan, has other plans. Together they search the libraries in the southern deserts in the hopes of finding information that may help them in the coming war. Violence is broiling there too, and all of Gair and Alderan’s skills will not be enough to keep it from spilling over.

Trinity Rising is the second book in the Wild Hunt series. Despite this, it holds together near perfectly on its own. There are enough mentions of the past to catch newcomers up to speed, but not so many that it would bother people who have read the first novel.

While Gair was the central character in the first book, Songs of the Earth, Trinity Rising introduces Teia and much of the story centres on her. It’s a brave decision to give readers a new major protagonist partway through a trilogy, though also a necessary one here. Evidently Cooper wasn’t willing to sacrifice the emotions that Gair would feel at the death of someone that he loved deeply, and his story here deals with grief, rage and listlessness. Without Teia, Gair would be unbearable to read. He is hung up on Aysha’s death, both physically and emotionally. It cripples him to a point that he cannot think of anything but vengeance. Teia provides the balance of action and contemplation, though her own circumstances are dire.

While there are several well-developed female characters in Trinity Rising, I found that I had the same problem here as I have with many fantasy novels. The women are consistently undermined by men. And yes, this is set in a fantasy realm based on historical human civilisation, but even so. I love adventure. Adding fantasy to my adventure only makes things more amazingly shiny. Sort of rubs the shine right off when a girl’s agency narrows down based on what the guys around them want, especially when it’s not always shown to be a bad thing.

This isn’t to say that women in Trinity Rising aren’t strong. Teia is smart and proactive and basically carries this novel. She is put into a terrible situation, but from the outset uses all of her resources to find out more about what’s happening and the best course of action. When the time comes to act, she does not hesitate. Another character, Tanith, is similar in her ability make decisions and stick to them without second-guessing herself. Both her father and former lover, however, doubt her ability enough to impose their will over hers.

While Trinity Rising is remarkably well-written, towards the end is where it really begins picking up. As most second novels in a trilogy go, much of the journey here is setting up for the finale. Alliances are made on either side, battle techniques planned and the enemy assessed. It will be interesting to see how all of the pieces come together in the final novel.

Trinity Rising – Elspeth Cooper

Orion (July 26, 2012)

ISBN: 9780575096196

The Bluebeard fairy tale retold. . . .

When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world.

Glowing strands of romance, mystery, and suspense are woven into this breathtaking debut — a thrilling retelling of the “Bluebeard” fairy tale. 

Hardcover, 352 pages  Published March 12th 2013 by Random House Children’s Books

For those readers who have some knowledge of the fairy tale of Bluebeard, the events that happen in this story may not be much a surprise. For those that are not familiar with the fairytale, I wouldn’t recommend that you read up on it ahead time.

Perhaps the most unique part of this retelling is the setting.  The author chose to situate this story in Mississippi during a time in American history in which slaves still existed and people were beginning to travel north on the underground rail road. There is quite a bit more history in the book than I would have expected, but it adds a flavour to the setting that makes the story interesting and compelling. The side tales help push the narrative forward and add human interest to a suspenseful mystery.

Sophie is invited by her godfather to come and live with him in his mansion in Mississippi. It is very obvious from the beginning pages that he has more than just a passing interest in the girl. There is a sexual tension between the two from the moment they meet. Torn between family/guardian ideals and the fact that Sophie is physically attracted to him, lead to some very pensive moments.

As Bernard is a businessman, Sophie is left wandering the mansion where she makes discoveries about the past women and wives that have lived there. She begins to believe that their disappearances are not just coincidence.

The pacing is slow and the main character a bit “classic” in her behaviour ie soft spoken and overly curious. It’s like the old saying, “curiosity killed the cat” and in this instance, Sophie’s nosing around the house does get her into trouble.

This novel has a mystery at it’s core but also includes a soft love story as well as a villain who’s a bit handsy. The writing style mirrors a traditional fairytale but in a more modern day setting that the reader can relate well to.

Grimm is reviewed by Chris Kneipp

When it comes to TV, I like my shows to have great characters and lots of intrigue and the series, Grimm, fits the bill well. Jim Kouf and David Greenwalt, who wrote a lot of both Buffy and Angel episodes, set the scene for a great series right from the pilot.

So what’s it about? Detective Nick Burkhardt from Portland Homicide begins to see some weird stuff, like people’s faces changing into the monsters of childhood fairy-tales. He thinks he’s going crazy, but when the Aunt who raised him, returns from a long absence, he discovers he’s descended from a long line of “Grimms” (protectors of the people) who are charged with keeping balance between humanity and the creatures hidden amongst us all. He is given a trailer which contains a treasure trove of weapons, books and potions, and told to hunt and destroy the creatures, called Wesen. (Pronounced Vesen).

(You quickly get used to the German names sprinkled throughout the show.)

 When Nick meets a Blutbad, (think the big bad wolf,) named Monroe, played brilliantly by Silas Weir Mitchell, he soon discovers that the Wesen are not all they’re made out to be.

Monroe is a vegetarian clock repairer, who helps Nick to sort out the real baddies from the Wesen who are just trying to live their lives in peace. Of course, helping a Grimm to fight his own kind does not endear him to some of his brethren. His character is such an important part of what works about this show.

David Giuntol does a good job as Nick, the young detective trying to work out his destiny while facing the problems of keeping his secret. He has to deal with his destiny to protect people from dangerous Wesen, while trying to live a normal life, solving murders and falling for the local Vet.

There’s a lot of fun to be had had as he keeps his secret from his love interest Juliet, played well by Bitsie Tulloch, and his partner Hank Griffin, played by Russell Hornsby. The series gets better and better as it progresses and I really found myself carried along by Nick’s changing perspective on the nature of what’s good and evil.

Each episode is loosely based around a Brothers Grimm story, and I mean loosely. This show is no fairytale! The whole series has a dark and gritty feel to it, which starts with a quote from Grimm story, and the myth of the Grimm is revealed a little more with every episode. Mashing police drama and fantasy works really well, and the writers keep it fresh by not taking it too seriously. While the creature effects are good enough, it’s the dialogue that really gives the show some teeth. The banter between Nick and Monroe is light and realistic and often reminds me of Buffy and Angel dialogue.

In America they’ve just finished the third season and they are shooting the fourth season now. The first series is available in Australia on DVD and Bluray through Universal Studios and Season Two should hit the shelves soon.

If you’ve seen it, I hope you agree that this is a great series, without a lot like it out there at the moment. If you’ve never seen it, then get a copy and catch up before the new season comes to a tv near you.

Belinda chats about the enduring nature of the Little Black Dress

Superman has his S on his Chest… I have my LBD

When at a complete loss as to what to wear to any event, and yes I mean any event, the Little Black Dress is an absolute must have in the wardrobe of any girl above 16 (younger if you’re parents agree).

Here’s 3 examples of how one LBD can go from shopping with the girls at a beach front market, to a job interview, to an after 5 evening event.

The idea is to get a simple yet classy basic dress and use shoes, hair styling, jackets and accessories to match it to the event as appropriately as possible. The more basic the dress, the more impact it will have, and the more flexible it will be when switching events.

Shopping trip at the Gold Coast? Why not be sophisticated and comfortable at the same time. Ballet flats or pretty flip flops and a cute over the shoulder bag are a great idea, slap on a hat if you’re going to be out in the sun. Lip gloss and a swipe of mascara should be enough for the makeup.

Job interview? Why not add a briefcase, a blazer and some low heels to look put together and tidy. This is where the less is more theory comes into play. So keep the jewellery and makeup minimal.

Audrey Hepburn wore the most iconic LBD in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. You may never have seen the film, however almost anyone would recognise that simple yet elegant representation of how something can be taken to the next level with accessories, and an up do.

For an after 5 event, be it a wedding or a semi formal work event, the theme is go big or go home. Add a fabulous jacket, higher sparkly heels, an evening bag and outrageous jewellery to make that LBD work to it’s full potential.

You don’t have to have the budget of a Kardashian to have class.

Most trends will come and go, but the LBD will forever be a staple in any smart woman’s wardrobe.