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Tuesday, June 18, 2024

Drops of God: TV Show Review

Apple TV+ Original Limited Series


Warning! Spoiler Alert!

SO DON’T START THIS SHOW while on maternity leave. Watching characters swirl, sip, and savor wine in French vineyards so ripe that you can taste the sunshine in the grapes is enough to ask your wide-eyed bundle of joy if they’re ready for a whole food diet. France isn’t all you get in this lusciously slow drama about daughter Camille (Fleur Geffrier) of a world-renowned French sommelier, who finds herself pitted in a competition for her inheritance against her father’s protégé (Tomohisa Yamashita). It’s deliciously international, its own unique blend of television, as protégé Issei hails from Japan, and we also get some Italy as well.

Camille is a wine savant, trained by her famous father Alexandre Léger in the art of the senses to be able to identify most things purely by smell. However, they have a falling out when her father pushes her training too far, leaving her unable to drink wine without her body experiencing extreme visceral reactions like nose bleeds. Issei is the son of an old and esteemed family in Japan who run a lucrative diamond business. He is immediately endearing, doesn’t suffer fools, and is graciously humble. Next to Camille’s sometimes impetuous and juvenile decision-making, he’s quite easy to root for, especially as he navigates his family’s disapproval of his wine passion. However, his mother may have her own reasons for so vehemently discouraging him from competing when Issei is named as a possible heir to the fortune of his late mentor Léger. Camille and Issei face of in three challenges to test how well they know the essence of wine (and points for viewers who will likely be able to guess the answer to the last riddle :D).

This show takes its time to develop the characters and their back stories. At first I was impatient for Camille and Issei to have more dialogue, since it’s not a high stakes contest without a bit of mud-slinging—but thankfully when the pair do finally get screen time together, they quickly make up for lost ground and establish a complex and meaningful relationship. I did find that Camille’s aversion to drinking to the point of manifesting physical symptoms to be too easily resolved though. Two side characters, Lorenzo (Luca Terracciano) and Miyabi (Kyoko Takenaka), who aid Camille in her quest to beat Issei, also stole the show at times with their effable charm. There are lots of great cultural immersion, exploration of traditions, and different views of wine and the sometimes snobbish hierarchy that can make or break the livelihoods of enologists (wine makers).

The scenery is stunning, gorgeous people abound, and there’s a satisfying conclusion. All in all, a wonderful way to spend an afternoon imagining yourself relaxing and enjoying life in the French countryside. For those longing for more, this TV show was inspired by the Manga series written by Tadashi Agi and Shu Okimoto.

Tuesday, June 4, 2024

Head to the beach with Changeling Sisters and Afterlife Chronicles Paperbacks!

SUMMERTIME has kicked off. When it comes to chilling outside with a good story, you can't beat a solid book in your hands, which is why I'm excited to share the following Paperback release schedule: 


Year of the Snake (Changeling Sisters #5) 


Now available on major eBook retailers in both Paperback and eBook, such as:



Afterlife Chronicles News

The Tribe of Ishmael (Book #1) and The Staff of Aaron (Book #2) will both be available as paperbacks and eBooks on major eBook retailors July 1st. 












Keep an eye here for continued Paperback expansion throughout the year.