Category Archives: Predictions

Why You Need to Read: “The Dragon Republic”

The Poppy War: #2: The Dragon Republic

By: R.F. Kuang

Published: August 8, 2019

Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Grimdark, Folklore, Military 

WARNING: The following contains minor spoilers from both The Poppy War and The Dragon Republic. You have been warned. 

            She didn’t care about anyone’s visions for the future. She’d stopped wanting to be great, to carve out her place in history, a long time ago. She’d since learned the cost, (Chapter 6).

            Books about war—whether or not it’s fiction or non-fiction—attempts to include the horrors it brings along with it. In recent years, more fiction stories have included the “realities” of war as opposed to the “glories” of it, which usually make their way into the narratives. R.F. Kuang, author of The Poppy War, re-establishes the “cost of war” and its aftermath in the sequel, The Dragon Republic.

            Runin “Rin” Fang is (still) reeling from her actions, which led to the end of the Third Poppy War and victory for the Empire. However, the victory has left Rin feeling hollow due to the deaths of her friends, her teachers, and her comrades. Everything she’d witnessed throughout the war: death, rape, starvation, mutilation, her lack of control as a shaman over a goddess, her addiction to opium, and the betrayal she and her Unit suffered towards the end of the war has left Rin in a depressive state of mind. As a soldier, Rin believes her only purpose lies in seeking revenge against those who betrayed her and the other denizens of the Empire. Lacking support, resources, and leadership skills, Rin leads the 13th Division to fight their remaining enemies. However, Rin and her soldiers are approached by Yin Vaisra—the Dragon Warlord, the Head of the House of Yin, and the father of one of her Sinegard classmates—and, he has a proposition for her: join up with him to form a “democratic” Republic amongst the now disbanded 12 Provinces and he will assist her with her vengeance. Rin—suspecting hidden motives and desiring to remain a soldier—agrees to the Dragon Warlord’s terms. As Rin works with her Unit and the Dragon Province, she is reunited with her former classmates who make their own decisions regarding the civil war that has broken out between the Empire and the Dragon Republic. This time, she has to determine her worth within this latest conflict. In order to do this, Rin develops from soldier to puppet to commander; it is a rough, but essential growth for Rin!

            Just like The Poppy War, The Dragon Republic has three parts: the aftermath of war, the beginning of a civil war, and the fallout as a result of the civil war. Part I focuses on the Aftermath of the Third Poppy War, especially how the survivors—both military and civilian—are dealing with the damage that remains. Rin struggles with keeping her unit alive while avoiding the troops who would capture Rin in order to collect the bounty on her head. She makes a deal with the Dragon Warlord not only to achieve her goal of revenge and to have access of supplies for her troops, but also to maintain her purpose of being a soldier. All Rin knows is warfare and she doesn’t know what else to do with herself. She’s not alone in this because her friends and her comrades feel the same way. 

            Part II is the campaign launched by the Dragon Province. The mission: either to parlay, or to destroy the other 11 Provinces. The choice lies between siding with the Dragon Warlord or fighting against him. The reality of war is presented to readers again as war tactics, war strategy, and death becomes part of the plot. Decisions are the difference between life and death, and death always seems to prevail. Meanwhile, Rin is suffering from her lost abilities as a shaman and from the humiliating “testing” done to her by the Hesperians—an advanced civilization who promises to ally themselves with the Dragon Province towards the goal of a united republic with the promise of weapons as long as they: win the civil war, allow missionaries to assist with the refugees, and to “study” Rin. Rin has flashbacks to the same experiments done to her and Altan by the Mugenese and begins to wonder whether or not if more than her self-worth is on the line. At the same time, Rin learns how the Empress became so powerful and how the damage she inflicted on Rin can be skirted. For that to happen, Rin must learn more about the powers of a shaman. To do that she’ll have to learn from those who taught Jiang, her former Master of Lore. These two subplots are necessary for both the plot development, and the character development, especially Rin’s. 

            Part III unveils all of the revelations and the intentions of all of the characters. Everyone is involved with another oncoming war whether or not they want to be. The Empire and the Hinterlanders are on the brink of another civil war, and Rin and her Unit must decide who they are going to fight for when the war begins. Even Rin has intentions for this war, especially after she learns the truth about the Dragon Province, the Empress, and their “allies.” Amongst the death and the reunions Rin must determine if she is a soldier or a shaman. 

            Once again, the narrative is in 1stperson and stream-of-consciousness. With the exception of the Prologue, readers follow Rin’s experiences during the aftermath of the Third Poppy War. All of Rin’s thoughts and traumas are witnessed by both readers and other characters. It seems during the postbellum everyone sees Rin as a solder without purpose. She’s a terrible leader and her mistakes puts others in danger. Yet, she wants peace and prosperity (and revenge) just like the other survivors of the war. The scenes involving war, refugees, and previous events and memories are told in real time, so readers experience the anticipation, the suffering, and the confusion all of the characters experience. While it is long, the pacing of the narrative is appropriate for this military fantasy novel.    

            The style Kuang uses in The Dragon Republic is both similar and different from The Poppy Way. The conflict and the aftermath of war—based on the conflicts stirring in several countries before the beginning of both the Spanish Civil War and World War II—is found throughout the pages within this novel. The difference, or better yet the addition to the conflict, is the notion of imperialism. It is obvious that the Dragon Province is attempting to do this, but they are not the only ones fighting for control of a weaken empire. The mood of The Dragon Republic is death and suffering; just because (one) war is over doesn’t mean everything will get better soon. The tone in this novel is not only about the cost of war, but also about the price one is willing to pay for power. There are no innocent people left alive in this story. 

            The appeal surrounding The Dragon Republic have been positive. Fans of The Poppy War, other military fiction, and grimdark will enjoy this sequel. As the world expands, so does the world-building, which is found in the characters and the weapons, which are based on military history and Chinese culture and folklore. It must be mentioned that anyone who couldn’t finish The Poppy War and/or are triggered by real life acts of violence should NOT read this book! While not all readers are into military literature, actual events of war, such as rape, is mentioned in this novel. Otherwise, expect another well-written story by R.F. Kuang. 

            The Dragon Republic is an amazing sequel. The story picks up where The Poppy War left off and it is both creative and realistic for the type of grimdark and military fantasy the author is telling the readers. Parts of the plot and the narrative can drag on at times, but they are necessary for the story the author is telling everyone. I can’t wait for the next book, even though I must. 

My Rating: Enjoy It (4 out of 5)!

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Why You Need to Read: “Darkdawn”

The Nevernight Chronicle: #3: Darkdawn

By: Jay Kristoff

Published: September 3, 2019

Genre: Fantasy, Grimdark, Historical Fantasy, Folklore

NOTE: This review contains spoilers from both Nevernight and Godsgrave.

            Goddess, if only we’d known what she’d become…(Chapter 33, Wellspring). 

            Darkdawn is the stunning conclusion to The Nevernight Chronicle. Jay Kristoff gives his readers a blood-soaked conclusion to his antiheroine that rivals “The Bride” from Kill Bill and Kratos from God of War. Mia Corvere and her vengeance concludes in Darkdawn, and the author delivers on everything he promised his readers and gives them even more.

            Mia Corvere has transformed from an assassin of the Red Church to a gladiator of the Falcons of Remus to the most infamous murderer in the Itreyan Republic. While she was killing her family’s enemies, she made a startling discovery and acted without thinking. Her brother, Jonnen, has been alive the entire time and has been raised as Consul Julius Scaeva’s son. More about Scaeva’s deception is revealed to Mia and she realizes that her identity was a lie as well. As she comes to terms with this new information, Mia learns that she has been chosen to “seek the Crown of the Moon.” It turns out the gods and the goddesses of the Itreyan Republic are as real as the magic in that world. Mia’s power of a darkin is strongest during Nevernight—which, is coming again soon—and, when the Mother Goddess—Niah, the Maw, the Mother of Night, and Our Lady of Blessed Murder—is strong enough to get her vengeance on Aa—the Father of Light, the Everseeing—her husband. Mia is powerful enough to assist the Maw with her path for revenge. However, Mia has accomplished her tasks and wishes to put as much distance between herself and the Itreyan Republic as possible. But first, Mia has to complete purging the Red Church who has sent ALL of their assassins after her. Meanwhile, Mercurio—Mia’s mentor and foster father—is a captive in the Red Church to use as bait to lure Mia Corvere to them. At the same time, Mercurio learns of the role he’s to play in the Mother’s plan, and it’s as shocking to the readers as it is to him! Throughout the story, we see Mia being split between keeping her brother and her friends safe and killing Consul Scaeva once and for all and following the path the Mother has laid before her. Mia deals with all of these revelations the only way an 18-year-old can…by lashing out; and, Mia’s method of lashing out involves killing a lot of people. Mia is now the most lethal assassin in the history of the Itreyan Republic and the true faith of the Maw expects Mia to fulfill her final task. Will Mia accept the task of the Mother? 

            The plot in Darkdawn is the conclusion to Mia’s life. Readers have known since Nevernight that Mia Corvere would die. The question was how and why. Mia’s quest for revenge now includes the Red Church and anyone Consul Scaeva sends after her. On top of that the Mother (darkness) and the Father (sunlight) are preparing to meet each other and to end their “spousal disagreement.” Mia has to battle gods and goddesses at the same time she is battling mortals. The plot develops as Mia and Mercurio learn more about the history of the Red Church and the darkin. As for the history of the gods and the goddesses, all of those footnotes throughout the trilogy was information as to what would occur eventually. The immortals—like all mythologies—have foresaw their Ragnarök and Mia is to play a very critical role in the end of the Itreyan Republic. Will the gods allow Mia to defeat them? Along with this subplot is the subplot of Mia’s reunion with Jonnen and the relationship she struggles to build with him. These subplots are crucial to the conclusion of The Nevernight Chronicle and they take over the plot of Darkdawn as the story continues. The plot starts with and ends with Mia Corvere. 

            The narrative in Darkdawn is a continuation of Nevernight and Godsgrave until the final part of Darkdawn (Book 4, The Ashes of Empires). From there, the story seems to follow a stream-of-consciousness in the present tense, until it shifts back to the 3rd limited point-of-view. This narration allows readers to follow the actions of Mia, Ashlinn, Jonnen, Mercurio, and other characters as all is revealed throughout the Itreyan Republic. Mia—even with her darkin abilities—cannot be everywhere at once, so readers get the chance to learn how all of these characters are feeling with their situation and what will come to pass. While readers might not like certain characters, their narratives are objective and essential to the story that is being told. The footnotes remain informative and hilarious but are just as vital to the story as the world-building. Everything converges within the narrative. 

            The style Jay Kristoff uses continues in the final book in this trilogy. The events of the past are told in italics, the darkin’s dialogue are told using various font sizes, and the footnotes continue to explain Itreya’s history and culture. That last part is crucial to the narrative because it can be argued that the history and the culture was the real story being told in The Nevernight Chronicle. For example, the “author” of the entire chronicle is revealed, and once readers get over their shock, they will realize that it makes a lot of sense. On top of that readers are reminded that books still enact a sense of fear whether or not it’s the reader or the people mentioned within it. Jay Kristoff reveals the actual story he is telling in his trilogy, the anger of a goddess and the revenge she is waiting to enact on her husband. Similar to how Mia wants vengeance for her family, Niah wants revenge against Aa. The clues were in the titles: Nevernight, Godsgrave, and Darkdawn. The author wasn’t only telling Mia’s story, but also creating his own mythology about the world he created: the gods and the goddesses, how they created the world, and the religion that came out of it as well. The mood in Darkdawn is the coming end of an empire, a cult and its followers, and the protagonist. Readers are familiar with the saying, “tear it all down and begin anew.” Usually this statement comes out of the mouth of a madman; however, in the case of the Itreyan Republic—similar to the Roman Empire—there is so much corruption and greed that the end was going to happen sooner or later (I’m not a historian). The tone of this novel follows the idiom: “the sins of the father shall be visited upon the sons.” The actions of Mia and Jonnen’s parents are reaped by the siblings. At the same time, the actions of the gods affect the mortals who worship them. And yet, the same emotions are felt by mortals and by immortals alike. 

            The appeal surrounding Darkdawn will be a positive one. I received an ARC of this book and Jay Kristoff gives a satisfying ending to this creative and bloody trilogy. Fans of fantasy and grimdark will enjoy this story. Readers of historical fiction will appreciate the parallels (and the research) to the Roman Empire. And, folklore enthusiasts and experts will love how the author reminds his audience of the source of magic and faith found throughout the trilogy. Darkdawn concludes the way it does as mentioned in the beginning of Nevernight.

            Darkdawn is the action-driven end to a fast-paced trilogy. Mia Corvere’s life story ends as it began, with blood and death. Readers will cringe at the death count, will mourn the characters who die, and won’t be able to stop reading until the end. Fans will complete The Nevernight Chronicle and be more than satisfied with its conclusion. Mia Corvere is one of the best antiheroines I’ve ever read. Thank you Jay Kristoff for sharing her story with us! 

My Rating: MUST READ IT NOW (5 out of 5)!!!

Why You Need to Read: “Grey Sister”

Book of the Ancestor: Book Two: Grey Sister

By: Mark Lawrence

Published: April 3, 2018

Genre: Fantasy, Grimdark, Sequel

            “You’re powerful Nona, and you’ve come into your power at an early age. The understanding that power corrupts is an idea older than the language we repeat it in. All of us in positions that afford authority over others are susceptible, be we high priests, prime instigators, even abbesses.”

            “Or emperors,” Nona said.

            The abbess winced. “Some truths are better left implied, dear,” (Chapter 17).

            Sequels and other follow ups to their predecessors work well when the events that occurred beforehand are addressed AND the action picks up where it left off. In addition, both the plot development and the character development must continue to show growth in order for the story to remain realistic, and to keep the attention of the reader(s). Mark Lawrence achieves all of this in Grey Sister, the Second Book of the Ancestor.

            The second book in the trilogy has two protagonists: Nona Grey, who is now around 14 years-old and just reached Mystic Class; and Abbess Glass, the Reverend Mother and Headmistress at the Convent of Sweet Mercy. From these protagonists, readers are able to gain knowledge of the on goings of everything happening at the Convent. Nona is coming into her powers and her abilities and is dealing with the consequences of her actions from her time in Grey Class. At the same time, Abbess Glass continues her task of running the Convent and continuing her task of exposing corruption inside and outside of the Convent. More is at stake for both female protagonists as both the Emperor and the Inquisition continue to meddle in the affairs of the Church. All of the other novices: Ara, Darla, Ruli, Jula, and Zole, and the nuns: Wheel, Apple, Kettle, Pan, Rose, Tallow, and Rail know that more is happening outside of the Convent than the Emperor is willing to admit. And, once again, Nona meets up with a few of her former “cage mates,” who have grown into their abilities as well. Everyone is preparing for a war that is inevitable. Nona must endure the obstacles and the hardships in order to graduate from Mystic Class. Abbess Glass must use all of her wisdom and her connections to keep everyone safe, including the “Chosen One” and her “Shield.”

            The plot for Grey Sister is a continuation from Red Sister. Nona and her friends and classmates continue with their classes and the nuns continue their work inside and outside of the Convent. All of this occurs after the betrayals and the heartbreaks from the last two years. These events prompt the identity of the “Chosen One” to be revealed, which brings a motley crowd of zealots and doubters alike. At the same time, neither the noble families, nor the nuns have forgotten the efforts of one noble family’s continued plans to kill Nona. Nona is struggling with her classes due to the long-term “consequence” of the attack on her life. Through it all, Nona grows stronger and more powerful to the delight of her peers and to the horror of her enemies. If Nona wishes to remain at the Convent of Sweet Mercy and to stay alive, then she must find a way to navigate herself through her trials. The subplot of the “Chosen One” is growing and merging into the plot of Nona’s education and the significance of the 4 tribes that traveled to Abeth.

            Once again, the narrative is limited omniscient narration, meaning the readers and the protagonists know what is being experienced at that moment through the character’s point-of-view. Unlike Red Sister, the narrative in Grey Sister is told in real-time through the P.O.V.s of both Nona and Abbess Glass. Thus, these stream-of-consciousness narrations are reliable and can be followed by readers easily. It should be mentioned that the present narration of Grey Sister starts with Chapter 2. Chapter 1 picks up with the cliffhanger from Red Sister, and the Prologue provides a continuation of the action first introduced in the Prologue in Red Sister. Since Grey Sister’s narration is told in the present, any events of the past that is mentioned proves to be a revelation to both the characters and the readers. This is because what gets revealed demonstrates that everything that is, has been, and will continue to happen is bigger and more grievous than anyone at the Convent of Sweet Mercy could imagine. 

            The style Mark Lawrence uses in Grey Sister is a continuation of how prophecy is exploited through means of distraction. Those involved directly with the prophecy want nothing more than to be left alone and to live their lives as “normal” individuals. Some hopefuls wish for the “divine” powers of the “Chosen One” to work miracles for them only to be left disappointed with this notion. Then, there are those who use the prophecy as a way to fulfill their agendas, typically political ones. And, if the prophecy of the “Chosen One” is a distraction, then the political agendas of several noble families, including the Royal Family, serves as the knowledge that no one wants to admit is the issue: war is coming. In other words, religion is exploited in order to distract everyone from the politics of society. This is the mood found within Grey Sister; and, the tone is how the truth—surrounding both religion and politics—is revealed and the reactions and the consequences of it. There are neither winners, nor losers, yet everyone continues to believe whatever they want to believe in. 

            The appeal of Grey Sister is as positive as Red Sister. Fans of the first book had just as many praises for its sequel. This is because the sequel continues to build and to develop the characters, the plot, the world-building, and the action. Not only will readers want to re-read this book (to search for clues and Easter Eggs), but also to continue recommending this series to other readers, all while waiting to read Holy Sister, the third and final book in the series. 

            Grey Sister is an amazing sequel to Red Sister. This is because there is an expansion of the world and further development of both the plot and the characters. At the same time, the events and the revelations from the first book play a critical role that cannot be overlooked. The story is as immersive as the action is entertaining. Mark Lawrence’s novel is a must-read for fans of both fantasy and grimdark.

My Rating: MUST READ IT NOW (5 out of 5)!

An Update on My Shortlist Award Reading Challenge 2019

On Tuesday, April 2nd, the nominees for the 2019 Hugo Awards were announced, and just like everyone in the SFF Community, I was excited over all of the nominees and offered my congratulations (and consolations) to the authors, artists, editors and other nominees. The good news is, once again the nominees of the Nebulas and the Hugos contain different selections within each category, which means there are different works to consider for each category. In other words, someone who wasn’t nominated for a Nebula was nominated for a Hugo! The bad news is, I’m still reading (and watching) my way through these nominees. I’m going to have to start being realistic about how I’m going to present my predictions for the upcoming awards.

            One of the issues about reading the nominations for literary awards is the actual reading of them. Time and money are the usual suspects as to why I’m falling behind on the reading. However, I can say that I fell behind in the reading of some of these nominations because I’m behind on the series. Dave Hutchinson, Yoon Ha Lee and Emma Newman are nominated for some of the awards for their novels that are part of a series. Unlike Nnedi Okorafor, Martha Wells and Seanan McGuire, reading novels takes longer than reading a novella. And, while I’ll be working my way through both Yoon Ha Lee’s and Becky Chambers’ series in time for the Hugo Awards Presentation, I won’t be able to complete them in time for the BSFA Awards. That being said, the nominations for “Best Novel” are just as puzzling as the “Best Novel” nominations for the rest of the awards, the novels/series are that good.   

            Another issue I’ve been having is the access to the stories themselves. I’ve been making numerous trips to the public libraries in my neighborhood and in the neighboring neighborhoods. Amazon Unlimited—Amazon’s digital library service—has been a huge help, as well as the many sales on e-books both Amazon and Barnes & Noble have had since January. However, many of the short stories and the novelettes are not as easy to access as you may think. Some of the nominees are available online for free by the publisher or the magazine that published them. The rest are not even available to purchase online unless you buy the entire issue the story was featured in. As of right now, I don’t know what I’ll do as each awards presentation gets closer. 

Please keep in mind that I’m doing the Reading Challenge. I know about the nominations in the categories involving movies, television shows and video games. I’m working my way through those as well and I’ll give my predictions on those potential winners, too.  

            In terms some of the other awards, I tweeted a message to The Arthur C. Clarke Award Committee. They said that their awards ceremony will take place in July 2019, although the dates are still TBD. I want to say that we’ll probably get their nominations either at the end of April, or at the beginning of May. I don’t know which books will be selected for their nominations, but it wouldn’t surprise me if some of the nominees for the other awards are selected for this one. I’m looking forward to The Arthur C. Clarke Awards because their nominations are made up of both familiar and new names, as well as series a reader—such as myself—might have overlooked. I should also mention that as I’m posting this update, the nominations for the 2019 Locus Awards have not been announced yet. If there are any other awards I should look into, then please let me know. 

            On Monday, April 15th, the winner of the 2019 Compton Crook/Stephen Tall Award will be announced, but the award will not be presented to that winner until Balticon 53, which is taking place after this year’s Nebula Awards Presentation. I have either read or read most of the books of all the nominees. I have an idea of who my pick for this award is going to be, but that doesn’t mean that the author I choose is going to win. This will be the first of my awards videos I plan on making and uploading to YouTube. I can say all of the nominees on this list are worth reading, especially because three of the authors are nominated for other speculative fiction literary awards. However, this does not mean that the other three nominees should be overlooked. I have a feeling that we’ll receive more intriguing stories from them for a very long time. 

            That’s my update. I’ll be reading and posting my reviews and updates about each award presentation as they come and go. I’m making progress with my reading and I’m excited and conflicted about this year’s nominees. This means that many of the stories the authors have gifted readers with are that good, so it’ll be hard to determine just one winner. I’ve heard of ties happening in some cases and I doubt that it could happen this year, but you never know. 

The Bittersweet Conclusions that are Coming in April 2019

Note: There are some spoilers and theories surrounding Game of Thronesand the MCU. I don’t have any knowledge of what’s going to happen in either Game of Thronesor Endgame.

Just like everyone else, I’m excited for both Season 8 of Game of Thrones and Avengers: Endgame. Both the television show and the movie are continuations of popular media adaptations of speculative fiction. Each one will pick up after a “shocking” ending, and the fandom has no idea what to expect in these upcoming installments. George R.R. Martin has announced that there will be differences in his final two books from the TV show. Marvel and Disney have announced some of the upcoming movies for “Phase Four” of the Marvel Cinematic Universe—Spider-Man: Far From Home and maybe an appearance of the Defenders (?). So yes, no one knows what to expect in April 2019 except for action and heartache. 

            Before I go into the obvious differences here are the similarities. Both Game of Thronesand Endgamewill take place after the characters suffer a major lost and are working to fight and to survive in the final showdown. Both involve forces in which there is little to no knowledge about. And, both have confirmed deaths of many of its characters. How will The North win against The Night King? What methods will be used to defeat Thanos and return the other half of the universe’s population? Who is going to die, because not everyone makes it to the end? Fans of either or both are anticipating finales that will destroy them emotionally. The actors and the actresses did admit to crying at the end of shooting their parts. Will it be the same for us? 

            Game of ThronesSeason 8 promises us epic battle sequences, lots of CGI, and several deaths. George R.R. Martin has told his readers to expect a “bittersweet” ending in the books, which should be reflected in the show. And, because the show has diverted from the books so much, it will be difficult to determine which of the minor characters are going to die. In terms of the major characters, Jamie and Cersei are definitely going to die; at least one more Stark will die; and, Winterfell will provide a winning strategy for surviving—and hopefully winning—the war. As for the minor characters, anyone is fair game. Although we didn’t see any footage in the trailer, the Battle for King’s Landing is going to be as epic as the Battle for the Dawn. 

            Less than two weeks after the premiere of the final season of Game of Thrones, Avengers: Endgamewill be released in theaters. This latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe takes place a few months after Thanos snapped his fingers. The surviving teammates are scattered and are brainstorming on how to defeat Thanos. There isn’t much to go on except that there will be a final showdown of some sort; Captain Marvel will make her appearance to both the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy; and, at least one of the remaining Avengers—Captain America—will die. Thus, paving the way for Civil War II—read the graphic novel. However, it has already been confirmed that the characters who died before the “Snap” will remain dead (?). This plot device is there to implicate lasting repercussions to Thanos’ actions.

            April 2019 will give us the conclusions to the media storylines we want so badly, or do we? All we know about the anticipated features is that there will be a bittersweet ending to both of them. And yes, there have been clues in the previous seasons and movies, it is not clear what will happen. Unfortunately, the books don’t give us any additional hints. With human history to accompany us, viewers and fans should have an idea of how gut-wrenching these viewing experiences will be.

            I know I’ll be watching both media adaptions of these franchises; and yes, I’ll continue to read and to watch anything else related to them. But, am I prepared for the emotional train wreck that is part of these endgames? If the actors and the actresses were emotional, then what does that mean for us? All the same, I need to quench my curiosity because the buildup has been too much. I Need to Know How It All Ends!