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The Last Apprentice

The Last Apprentice – Chapter 1: A Knock at the Door

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From the Author

I’ve finally sat down to start writing a fantasy novel I’ve been kicking around for years. I’ll be posting it every two weeks if time allows, and I’d be very open to feedback. Thank you for reading, I hope you like it!

Chapter 1

Mila and her grandmother live in a corner unit on the 71st floor of the 200-floor Beuna Vista Luxury Apartments. The name is a misnomer, and anyone living in the apartments knows they are not luxurious.

The Buena Vista Luxury Apartments is a large rundown and broken stone and iron tower. Every inch of the building is covered in an unwashable layer of filth, and there exists an ever-present rotting odor that sticks to the skin. Some believe that the building was built intentionally faulty, smell and all. There is also the belief that the blackouts and leaks are planned and the appliances were designed to stay broken. Despite its many faults, it is widely accepted that living at the Buena Vista Luxury Apartments is better than living in the slums on the outskirts of the mega city.

Its residents, crammed as close together as the laws and regulations allow, may spend the rest of their lives not knowing their neighbor, but everyone in Buena Vista knows Doña Guille.

Doña Guille is an 80-year-old small brown woman with soft brown wrinkled skin. She keeps her hair short she dyes a regal shade of red regularly. Although her clothes are never new, they are always clean and well-maintained. She looks like a proper lady of society, and people treat her as such because Doña Guille is the tower’s bruja, their witch doctor.

There isn’t a baby in the building she hadn’t delivered, an illness she hasn’t cured, a fortune she hasn’t read. There isn’t a person in this building who hasn’t made their trek to floor 71 at least once. Whether or not they believe in witchcraft, there isn’t a person in the building who wouldn’t go to her at the first sign of illness.

Doña Guille lives humbly in the one bedroom she shares with her granddaughter. Those who enter find themselves in a room with a small plastic table and a wall of planters surrounding it. The purple light from their lamps spills over strange and exotic-looking herbs. Their sweet and minty scent fills the room and mixes with the strong incense that constantly burns. The scent masks the rotting smells and soothes the soul. The purple glow spills onto the plastic, reflecting off the dulling cardboard of the deck of Tarot cards that sits permanently at its center.

On the opposite wall is a wall of vials and jars filled with strangely colored liquids. Potions in miscolored glass that are constantly cycled. At the end of the room, there is a metal desk shoved against the wall. Spread across it are old broken appliances whose guts spill across every inch of the table. Wires and random parts almost spill onto the floor. There is an impressive collection of salvaged vintage tools that hang neatly across the face of the wall. A spotlight hangs recklessly over the center of the workspace.

Mila sits on a small worn stool behind the lamp light. Her gloved hand turns at a screwdriver. Her brown hair sits in a messy bun. There are splotches of oil and grease across her clothes and dark brown skin. Her almost golden eyes peer through the dirty off-colored goggles as she slowly takes apart the dented metal toaster.

A small wrinkled hand grabs at her shoulder and breaks her concentration. “Tienes habre mija?” Doña Guille asks with a smile.

Mila turns and removes her headphones. A low buzzing leaks into the room, turning into a barely audible rumble. Mila looks down at the old watch wrapped around her wrist. It was almost midnight. Her stomach starts to growl. “I guess I should eat.”

The table was already set. A plat of brown mush sits next to a glass of milk. “I made the oatmeal like you like it,” Doña Guille says as she sits in the empty seat across from Mila. She had eaten her dinner earlier that evening. Mila begins shoveling the oatmeal into her mouth. “Have you been practicing the spells I’ve taught you?”

Mila stops eating. Her eyes dark around the room nervously. “Um..” she begins, searching for an excuse. “Just a bit.”

A glimpse of sorrow seeps into Doña Guille’s eyes. She sighs. “I know its silly, pero es importante. You’re the only one left I can teach the old language.”

Gilt washes over Mila. “I know Ama, pero I’ve been busy with work orders. I’ll find some time, I promise.”

“I’m not going to be here forever you know. You need to take advantage that I’m here.” There was clear nervous urgency in her voice.

Mila puts down her spoon and looks over her old grandmother. At that moment, the wrinkles seemed deeper. There were new dark blotches on her skin and a few white hairs were beginning their defiant peer through all the red. Mila grabs her grandmother’s hand. Her warm soft skin feels good to Mila’s touch. “I’ll start tomorrow, I promise. Besides,” she smiles “I already know the word for fire.”

I knock at the door startling the two women. They stare at each other for a moment. “It must be more work,” Mila says as she gets up from the table.

There is a well-dressed man at the other end of the knock. He wears a new and fitted suit and his hair is slicked back with a product that doesn’t exist in this part of the megacity. His dark brown skin seems to glow even in the dim flashing light of the hallway. “Hola,” the man says as he removes his gloves. “I hear you can tell fortunes.” He smiles, flashing his white teeth.

“Ama…” Mila says, still processing the situation. “I think it’s for you.”

Series Reviews

Series Review: The Umbrella Academy

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I love the Umbrella Academy, and this new season did little to change that. It might not be the best season, but it still holds up against up well against the other shows in the genre.

The Umbrella Academy is an orthodox way of looking at the superhero narrative. The show is about a family of superhumans adopted by an eccentric man with selfish intentions. The seven members of The Umbrella Academy endured a traumatic childhood where their father raised them to be superheroes. They struggle as adults to adjust to normal life because they are restrained by their traumas. Now that the end-of-the-world is at their doorstep, they must learn to work through their issues and save the world. Can they do it?

I haven’t read the comic, and I can’t make a comparison between the two mediums. As a series, however, it is fantastic. The story is great, the acting is solid, and the soundtrack is amazing. Sure, some of this series is bogged down by family drama, but that’s the point. The Umbrella Academy isn’t just about superheroes saving the world, but about people trying to work through trauma. 

It is important to note that these are not traditional heroes. They will mess up a lot, they will act selfishly, and sometimes not act heroically. The show does a good job of showing how the pressures of heroism take their toll on each member. Each member has a moment of crisis that they have to deal with, and they don’t always deal with it well. The charm of this show is the constant state of crisis they seem to find themselves in because they are flawed. As a result, it is fun to see how experience changes each character throughout the series. 

The Umbrella Academy is one of few narratives that handle time travel and multiverses well. I never felt overwhelmed by the jumps, changes, or the number of narratives because of how well the story is told. Everything in this series is held together by a mystery that will keep most audiences guessing till the end. I think by the third season you should already be able to solve the mystery, but with all the changes in the timeline, it can be hard to know for sure.

I recommend you watch this series. It is full of fun action, serious moments, and some fantastic music. This series is well done, and there is enough of it to keep you busy for a while unless you end up binding it in one sitting. If you do, I don’t blame you. Check it out on Netflix.

If this series isn’t available where you live, consider trying Atlas VPN. I do have to tell you that they are a sponsor, but I have been using it for a bit now and I like it. It’s cheap, easy to use, and works as it should. If you need more privacy in your life, consider Atlas VPN.

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Series Reviews

TV Series Review: Star Trek: Picard

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Picard is my introduction to Star Trek. I’ve seen the movies, but I wasn’t a fan of the movies. As someone who is unfamiliar with the show, this was a great place to start. While it is a little preachy at points, it did make me start watching some of the older shows. If you are a long-time fan, you might be disappointed by the series, but at least it is better than the movies.

I will say that the first season is the only one that is worth watching. The acting is fantastic, the action is fun, and the story is engaging enough. It isn’t perfect, it makes a lot of weird choices, and the ending is disappointing, but it got me interested in the series.

One issue that might arise is with the references made to the original show. I felt a bit alienated when they would introduce an old crew member or reference certain events, but it wasn’t bad enough that I couldn’t understand the story. They exist as nods to the fans of the show and add little to the plot. My biggest issue is how much it addresses social justice issues. While appreciated, these moments get tedious and overbearing. I love Patrick Stewart, but he doesn’t need a speech every time he is on screen. There are moments in this show where Picard is more white guilt personified than the great captain the show wants him to be. The first season isn’t perfect, but it is good enough for casuals.

However, do not waste your time on the second season. I have personally created my own ending to the first season to cope with the disappointment that comes with watching the second season. The second season discards everything that makes Star Trek unique and fun and turns into a generic social justice action thriller no one asked for. While I do appreciate the sentiment, the messaging should be a lot more subtle. I didn’t like how the crew kept getting thrown from social issue to social issue as if they were collecting hashtags in their desperate attempt to stay woke and relevant. It isn’t fun, it isn’t interesting, please skip it.

You can watch this show on Paramount+. Watch it if you are interested in sci-fi but don’t know where to start. This is science fiction for casuals. If you are in the mood for sci-fi that requires little investment, Picard is a good place to start. The only problem is, you might not want to stop.

Series Reviews

Halo Series Revisited

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Now that I have seen more episodes of the Halo series, I want to revisit my initial assessment. Halo is a good show if you have never seen a sci-fi show before. Otherwise, it is a generic and unimpressive attempt at sci-fi with a halo skin. If you are a fan of the game, don’t bother. It has been a while since I’ve played any of the campaigns, but even I can see that this isn’t the show you were hoping for.

My biggest issue with this show is that none of its narratives are interesting. I don’t care about the space pirates, the UNSC, the spartan project, the rebellions, or the covenant. Every storyline serves as a reminder to the audience of a better show they could be watching. The build-up to the inevitable release of the flood is so drawn out that it left me apathetic to its various important story beats. This is the flashiest show you won’t care about.

The only good that comes from this show is some of the designs. Some of the costumes, weapons, and monsters are cool to see on screen. The problem is that they rely too heavily on the audience having rudimentary knowledge about the series. There are moments where the story stops to show off its famous iconography, but it does little to the story. Instead, they are shameless reminders that this show is somehow Halo, despite how far it has diverted from its source.

 If you are a fan of sci-fi, don’t waste your time. If you are new to sci-fi, there are better ones out there. Watch Star Wars Rebels if you want something with a familiar IP that is well done. But for those who don’t believe me, watch it over on Paramount plus.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Awake (2021

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Awake is incredibly disappointing. Awake is a horror movie where the monster is human nature. People are no longer able to sleep, and sleep deprivation is slowly killing humanity. Now the race is on to find a cure before humanity goes extinct. The movie focuses on a dysfunctional family and their survival. You get to watch as society crumbles under the weight of sleep deprivation.

This movie is alright. The acting is decent, the action is appropriate, but the ending is terrible. This is a great example of a movie that uses its run time to build up to nothing. What makes this movie hard to recommend is that it makes some solid artistic choices, but it doesn’t make enough of them to make this movie work. Awake is good at showing the story rather than relying on exposition. For example, in the first few minutes, you are introduced to Jill who is a recovering addict who is trying to give her family a better life. You know this because the son will check the car for drugs or they will make slights at the mom for being late or looking tired. You get a lot of Jill’s back story without the characters having to explicitly say anything about it. I liked this form of storytelling and hope more movies can follow suit.

I liked Jill as a character. She isn’t perfect, some of her dialogue isn’t good, but she has some redeemable moments. Jill is smart, capable, and most importantly, human. Jill doesn’t go into situations guns blazing like she is immortal. Instead, she takes the time to think and only engages when she has to because there are stakes. These stakes give the movie much-needed tension, too bad it leads nowhere.

I can’t recommend this movie. There are parts of this movie that I liked, but I can’t forgive the ending. The movie does a good job of introducing different plausible conclusions. There could be a cure, God’s wrath, scientific mumbo-jumbo, or even aliens. But instead, the movie ends in disappointment. SPOILERS: The movie ends with a baptism. As a way to start over. The kids figure that people need to die to start over so they take Jill to the river and drown her and then the movie ends. You don’t know if the cure worked. You don’t know what happens to humanity. It just ends and I was left bitter about it.

Don’t watch this movie. This is another failed attempt at another A Quite Place clone. Go watch that instead. But if yo don’t believe me, you can watch it on Netflix.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Frances Ferguson (2019)

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It is hard to recommend this movie due to the subject matter. This is without a doubt the best movie about a sex offender that I have seen. What is tricky about this movie is that it attempts to create sympathy for the sex offender. What she did is wrong, there shouldn’t be any sympathy. If the genders were swapped, this movie wouldn’t work.

Frances Ferguson is a mockumentary about a substitute teacher that sleeps with one of her students. While the movie focuses on her rehabilitation after the incident, the film attempts to justify her actions. Frances is stuck in a loveless marriage working a job she hates. She sees the newfound attention she is getting from her male students as the excitement she is missing. She must now live with her mistake as she tries to have a normal life again.

I love the quirky almost wimsical style of this movie. The quirky narration is fitting of the narrative, although the subject matter is a bit inappropriate. The acting is fine, and the progression is solid, but it is still a movie about a sex offender. Frances is a great character. She is quirky enough to keep the narrative intersting.

I recommend this movie if you like quirky weird movies. The subject matter is an issue, but it is told well. I can say it is refreshing to see a movie that takes a lot of risks and seeing most of them pay off. You can watch this on Amazon Video with a Prime membership.

Movie Reviews, movies

Spinster

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It is hard to recommend Spinster because the movie is slow and the character is annoying. The sound is bad, and most conversations exist within an echo. That said, the story is solid, and the journey that Gaby is pretty good.

Spinster is about a 39-year-old Gaby who is having an identity crisis. According to society, Gaby hasn’t hit any of the major achievements a woman her age should have. She has no kids or romantic relationships, and she runs her own business. Most will criticize her because she chooses to be alone instead of being a stay at home mom. The movie is about Gaby finding a self she is comfortable with, despite what society demands from her. It is really well done, and watching Gaby go from a grouchy aimless person to a positive happy person was worth the run time.

I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. Where I expected some generic feel-good movie about woman empowerment, I got a delightful story about growth and empowerment. I loved that the whole movie is about her coming to terms with doing her own thing, and they didn’t spoil it by making her find meaning in a relationship. Often with movies of this genre, the strong independent female lead needs to find meaning in her life by being in a heterosexual relationship. It is an offensive notion that women need a man to have meaning in their lives. It is refreshing that this movie didn’t go that route.

 It isn’t perfect. Some of the dialogue is odd, and the Gaby can be annoying. But if you can power through, it is a pretty solid movie. Now, this isn’t for everyone. If you aren’t a fan of Chelsea Peretti, you will have a bad time. A lot of the character is her, but I’d say it is worth watching her growth. She isn’t the same person she starts out as. It is a bit of a fairy-tale, but who cares. The pacing is the only thing keeping me from recommending Spinster outright. It can be slow at times, so if you don’t have much patience, this might not be the movie for you. I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch this, but if you are looking for something to watch, this is a safe option.

If you are interested, you can watch this on Amazon Video with a Prime membership. You can also watch it on Plutotv for free.

Movie Reviews, movies

YouTube Movie Review: Apartment 143 (2012)

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I am not a fan of found footage movies. I don’t like the lack of structure. There are some exceptions to this, but unfortunately, Apartment 143 isn’t one of them. Maybe I would have liked this movie if I could understand any of the conversations. In an odd artistic decision, the sound is recorded from a camera microphone too far away to pick up a lot of the dialogue. The idea was probably to make the found footage seem more authentic, but it is hard to care about a movie you can’t understand.

The movie is about a group of paranormal investigators on a job. Strange things have been happening to the family living in Apartment 143, and this team of experts is here to figure out what it is. The movie entertains the possibility of ghosts, demons, psychic powers, and even mental illness for the strange activity. There is a lot of pointless misdirection because the movie ends without a clear answer. The worst part of this movie is that it ends in sequel bait. Whatever is going on in the house isn’t done yet.

There are better found footage movies out there. Ones that don’t involve people waiting around having irrelevant conversations. This shamelessly relies on cheap jump scares to hide the fact that there is nothing valuable in the rest of the movie. As of writing this, you can watch this free on YouTube, but I wouldn’t bother.

Watch it Here!
Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: All the Old Knives (2022)

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All the Old Knives is a new movie on Amazon. It is supposed to be this suspenseful mystery about a detective trying to find the traitor, but all that is uncovered is deep disappointment.  

The poster has you believe that you will get a murder mystery type movie, where the main character goes around investigating the different people involved. You don’t. The whole movie is a long-drawn-out conversation between two people who share absolutely no chemistry. There are flashbacks mixed in to give the movie variation, but they are pointless and add nothing to the plot. This movie uses most of its run time on a conversation that slowly builds to an obvious and disappointing twist. All the Old Knives fails at creating any tension, suspense, or mystery. Without these, the plot doesn’t work.

For this movie to work, it needs more moving parts. The whole movie is a conversation between two people. A conversation that merely summarizes events that don’t matter. It is easy to figure out what this movie is building up to early on. When the big reveal happens, I think disappointing is too nice a word. I wanted to break things. There should have been more narratives to keep the audience guessing. Anything to keep the audience invested in the mystery. The twist is garbage and they should change it. Anything is better than what they chose and I stand by this statement. Even comedies like Clue or Murder Mystery understand how to create a more effective mystery. 

This movie is missing the essential components needed for the plot to work. Skip it. If you don’t believe me, you can watch it on Amazon with a Prime Membership.

Series Reviews

TV Series Review: I Know What You Did Last Summer (2021)

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I have mixed feelings about this series. I am really impressed with what this show does well, but it is slow. It builds proper suspense and mystery, the death scenes are well done, there are some cool set designs, and the twist is surprising. The biggest problem with this show is that it is too long. You have to sit through a lot of pointless relationships and teen drama to get to the good parts. There are a lot of plot points and development that lead nowhere. I tuned out a lot of this show because of this. But some well-done moments kept me interested till the end. It is hard to recommend this show because of how slow it gets.

The show follows the same formula as the original movies. A group of friends is out partying and they hit someone with a car. They decide to hide their crime and live with the guilt. Someone knows what they did and now is terrorizing them, hunting them down one by one. For the most part, this show presents a solid mystery. That is if you can sit through all the filler. Most of you have better things to do. I think if you are the target audience, you might fair a little better with all the teen drama than I did.

I wish this series were a movie instead. If they cut out all the filler, you have a solid mystery and some impressive creativity. There are some fun death scenes and some suspenseful moments, but the pacing takes away from this. I want more creative deaths and mystery because the show does the few it has well.

I also thought the use of shifting perspectives was a neat idea. Every episode would follow a different victim and you would get a different perspective of a shared experience. It provided context and deeper insight into each character. The problem is that it got repetitive, and often it would be a rehashing of the same story you’ve already seen too many times. I think if each retelling added useful information about the mystery instead of drama it would have been more effective. Maybe even have some details misremembered because everyone was so high. But I appreciate the attempt nonetheless.

I am not surprised it got cancelled after one season. I think it ends fine enough, any story after would have been too off the rails to be tolerable. Overall, the pacing really hurts the show. Watch this if you want something that doesn’t require much attention because you will zone a lot of this out. I wouldn’t rush out to watch this, but it is something to check out if you have nothing else to do. You can check it out on Amazon if you have a Prime membership.