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Merissa (12058 KP) rated Claw of Exile (Exiled #1) in Books
Mar 15, 2021 (Updated Aug 2, 2023)
CLAW OF EXILE is the first book in the Exiled series and tells the story of Ryu and Micah. Ryu is an Omega, captured from a warring clan, and given as a slave. The only person who loves and believes in him is his mistress. Even Micah, the heir apparent Alpha, pretends he doesn't know him when people are around.
The story starts off in the present, returns to the past, comes back to the present, and retreats to the past once more. Not only that, but the tense of the story changes from present to past, sometimes within the same sentence. This makes for a slightly disjointed read. I'm not sure if I read an unedited ARC or not, but there were also quite a few spelling mistakes, words used in error, or missed out completely. Amazingly enough, this did not detract away from the story itself. It's just something I feel should be mentioned.
Of the characters, the story is told from Ryu's perspective, and you never really find out Micah's motives or understandings from times gone by. I would have liked to have known what happened, especially when it had such a major impact on Ryu. Micah was also more difficult to like, which is not surprising, considering the circumstances. There are characters to like and loathe that make up this novel, and I would like to find out more about them.
All in all, this was a great story with some obvious events, and some red-herring twists and turns. It does finish on a cliffhanger so be prepared! This is definitely a series I would like to continue.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 15, 2021
The story starts off in the present, returns to the past, comes back to the present, and retreats to the past once more. Not only that, but the tense of the story changes from present to past, sometimes within the same sentence. This makes for a slightly disjointed read. I'm not sure if I read an unedited ARC or not, but there were also quite a few spelling mistakes, words used in error, or missed out completely. Amazingly enough, this did not detract away from the story itself. It's just something I feel should be mentioned.
Of the characters, the story is told from Ryu's perspective, and you never really find out Micah's motives or understandings from times gone by. I would have liked to have known what happened, especially when it had such a major impact on Ryu. Micah was also more difficult to like, which is not surprising, considering the circumstances. There are characters to like and loathe that make up this novel, and I would like to find out more about them.
All in all, this was a great story with some obvious events, and some red-herring twists and turns. It does finish on a cliffhanger so be prepared! This is definitely a series I would like to continue.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 15, 2021
ClareR (5726 KP) rated Vita and the Birds in Books
Jul 4, 2023
I was so excited when I got an email with the offer to read this. Mainly because despite the fact that I’m utterly rubbish at reading and reviewing on time, I had still been given a chance to read an ARC. Well, true to form, I’m late reviewing this - but I like to think that I’ll catch the prevaricators (we’re a great bunch really!) and tip them in to buying mode!
Vita and the Birds is set in a dual timeline: 1938 and 1997.
In 1938, Lady Vita Goldsborough lives a very constrained life. Her brother is extremely controlling even for 1938, I think. Vita meets the artist Dodie Blakeney whilst on a walk on the East Anglian coastal marshes, and a deep bond is formed between the women that will have lasting repercussions.
1997, and Eve Blakeney has returned to her grandmothers beach hut where she had lived alone up to her death. Eve is grieving the death of her mother, and going through her grandmothers belongings is supposed to be helping her to grieve. Eve seemed to be so vulnerable, sad and lost through much of this book. So when she finds some letters of her grandmother's written by another woman, they are something of a distraction. Clearly this is a relationship that ended before either woman wanted it to, which makes it all the more sad.
There is a tangible feeling of melancholy and sadness throughout each timeline. All of the characters experience loss.
I just loved this book. It made my heart ache for all three women. The windswept landscape of the coast and marshes were evocatively described and added to the desolation. I’m making this sound very depressing, aren’t I? Well, it is and it isn’t. I don’t like to wallow in depressing prose, and this had such beauty in it: the landscape, the birds, the love of the women and Eve’s family. Ultimately there is hope - and that’s what rounded this beautiful novel off perfectly.
Highly recommended.
Vita and the Birds is set in a dual timeline: 1938 and 1997.
In 1938, Lady Vita Goldsborough lives a very constrained life. Her brother is extremely controlling even for 1938, I think. Vita meets the artist Dodie Blakeney whilst on a walk on the East Anglian coastal marshes, and a deep bond is formed between the women that will have lasting repercussions.
1997, and Eve Blakeney has returned to her grandmothers beach hut where she had lived alone up to her death. Eve is grieving the death of her mother, and going through her grandmothers belongings is supposed to be helping her to grieve. Eve seemed to be so vulnerable, sad and lost through much of this book. So when she finds some letters of her grandmother's written by another woman, they are something of a distraction. Clearly this is a relationship that ended before either woman wanted it to, which makes it all the more sad.
There is a tangible feeling of melancholy and sadness throughout each timeline. All of the characters experience loss.
I just loved this book. It made my heart ache for all three women. The windswept landscape of the coast and marshes were evocatively described and added to the desolation. I’m making this sound very depressing, aren’t I? Well, it is and it isn’t. I don’t like to wallow in depressing prose, and this had such beauty in it: the landscape, the birds, the love of the women and Eve’s family. Ultimately there is hope - and that’s what rounded this beautiful novel off perfectly.
Highly recommended.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Moonville ( Gold Prophecy 1-4) in Books
Mar 1, 2024
40 of 220
Kindle
Booksirens arc
Moonville (Gold Blood Prophecy 1-4)
By K.J Devoir
⭐️⭐️
Please check Trigger warnings
Psycho gets the girl.
Leena Sperling has fallen into darkness. Darkness has a name...
ZAND BYRON
He’s larger than life. He’s also a deeply dangerous, twisted soul, a textbook psychopath. But, somehow...she makes him feel.
"You can run, Leena. But I will find you."
Leena: When I arrived to the City of Souls, the tiny cemetery town wrapping the Bay Area foothills where Moonvine Manor is located, I had no idea what to expect or how insane my life would become after moving into the former, Queen Anne, funeral home that belonged to my missing sister. I should have known that being greeted by a tombstone-shaped granite welcome sign was either a sick joke or a bad omen. But I could never have predicted that I would fall in love with the darkness.
Zand: I don’t want to ever stop making her cry. Her tears are full of human feelings, and I love the taste. She makes me feel, but part of me wants to end the human in her that brings out the human in me. In a heartbeat, I could make her nightmares infinitely darker. I'm a bad man, trying to be good.
Ok so this premise was good it gave me very much Morganville vibes but a little darker and steamy. The characters were ok and certainly lived up to the dark paranormal romance vibe.
But I had a few issues and I can only be honest. There were bits of the book that didn’t quite add up and there was something really off about it all. A few times I wanted to stop reading. It just wasn’t for me.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Please check Trigger warnings
Kindle
Booksirens arc
Moonville (Gold Blood Prophecy 1-4)
By K.J Devoir
⭐️⭐️
Please check Trigger warnings
Psycho gets the girl.
Leena Sperling has fallen into darkness. Darkness has a name...
ZAND BYRON
He’s larger than life. He’s also a deeply dangerous, twisted soul, a textbook psychopath. But, somehow...she makes him feel.
"You can run, Leena. But I will find you."
Leena: When I arrived to the City of Souls, the tiny cemetery town wrapping the Bay Area foothills where Moonvine Manor is located, I had no idea what to expect or how insane my life would become after moving into the former, Queen Anne, funeral home that belonged to my missing sister. I should have known that being greeted by a tombstone-shaped granite welcome sign was either a sick joke or a bad omen. But I could never have predicted that I would fall in love with the darkness.
Zand: I don’t want to ever stop making her cry. Her tears are full of human feelings, and I love the taste. She makes me feel, but part of me wants to end the human in her that brings out the human in me. In a heartbeat, I could make her nightmares infinitely darker. I'm a bad man, trying to be good.
Ok so this premise was good it gave me very much Morganville vibes but a little darker and steamy. The characters were ok and certainly lived up to the dark paranormal romance vibe.
But I had a few issues and I can only be honest. There were bits of the book that didn’t quite add up and there was something really off about it all. A few times I wanted to stop reading. It just wasn’t for me.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Please check Trigger warnings
Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated The Art of Hiding in Books
Oct 6, 2017
Right, I'm going, to be honest here and say that I really struggled with this book and it was only the last few chapters that bumped this up to a three star for me.
Until then It was a two all the way, so sorry.
I'm obviously in a minority here in regards to how The art Of Hiding was perceived by myself as I've seen many positive reviews singing its praises and this is a well-written story it just personally wasn't really my cup of tea.
So I'm going to try and pinpoint what wasn't working for me as there was never one major thing that stood out specifically and also what was actually floating my boat.
So first things first I've never read anything by Amanda Prowse before, so was going in blind here.
Well, my initial impression was that The Art Of Hiding was really well written, the words flowed easily and the writing style was one that was easy to get lost in.
But here comes my main problem, the actual story itself, I found it a bit boring and somewhat one-dimensional.
I also wondered whether the author herself has ever lived on the breadline or was this her portrayal of what she thinks it would be like to be in that scenario.
I thought to myself why wasn't Nina McCarrick with no income not down the job centre and putting in an application, dare I say it for housing benefit.
She was meant to be on her arse after all.
It also annoyed me how living on the breadline was initially portrayed all doom and gloom and shitty childhoods, I didn't find it a realistic portrayal of how the other half lives it was very stereotypical in the way it depicted the rich and the poor.
I found it so hard to connect with the characters especially Nina who I found very whiny and almost childlike in some of her reactions.
Thank god for Tiggy, she was a breath of fresh air and also very forgiving considering the way she has been treated by her sister over the past few years.
I was so glad we had tiggy to add a bit of realism to this tale, I needed her as She was the one character I actually liked completely.
So a brief description of The Art Of Hiding is Nina McCarrick has the perfect life.
Until that is her husband Finn dies in a car crash leaving Nina and their Two sons in a mountain of debt and their whole lives unravelling.
Nina moves her boys back to the streets of Southampton where she grew up and The Art Of Hiding is really the story of how Nina and her children cope and grow as individuals as their world implodes.
As I said earlier I couldn't initially connect, but then a bit before the end I felt it and this is mainly what made me bump this up a star, I had a lump in my throat as Nina and her kids visit their former home with Tiggy, it was very poignant and sentimental and after pages of just reading, I actually started to feel the words written.
Overall though this book didn't make me feel good, On finishing, I felt rather sad and deflated and I like my fiction to leave me feeling rejuvenated, an emotional wreck, happy even sad, but not deflated and down that's a no-no.
I really do think I would enjoy other works of Amanda Prowse's as I really did like the writing style It was just the Art Of Hiding just didn't quite hit the mark for me.
So, In conclusion, this is a well-written story hence the three stars, It just personally wasn't quite for me, yourself well we are all diverse in our likes and dislikes so give it a go, I would so love to hear your take on this.
I would like to thank Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an arc of The Art Of Hiding By Amanda Prowse, this is my own voluntary, honest opinion.
Arc Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
Until then It was a two all the way, so sorry.
I'm obviously in a minority here in regards to how The art Of Hiding was perceived by myself as I've seen many positive reviews singing its praises and this is a well-written story it just personally wasn't really my cup of tea.
So I'm going to try and pinpoint what wasn't working for me as there was never one major thing that stood out specifically and also what was actually floating my boat.
So first things first I've never read anything by Amanda Prowse before, so was going in blind here.
Well, my initial impression was that The Art Of Hiding was really well written, the words flowed easily and the writing style was one that was easy to get lost in.
But here comes my main problem, the actual story itself, I found it a bit boring and somewhat one-dimensional.
I also wondered whether the author herself has ever lived on the breadline or was this her portrayal of what she thinks it would be like to be in that scenario.
I thought to myself why wasn't Nina McCarrick with no income not down the job centre and putting in an application, dare I say it for housing benefit.
She was meant to be on her arse after all.
It also annoyed me how living on the breadline was initially portrayed all doom and gloom and shitty childhoods, I didn't find it a realistic portrayal of how the other half lives it was very stereotypical in the way it depicted the rich and the poor.
I found it so hard to connect with the characters especially Nina who I found very whiny and almost childlike in some of her reactions.
Thank god for Tiggy, she was a breath of fresh air and also very forgiving considering the way she has been treated by her sister over the past few years.
I was so glad we had tiggy to add a bit of realism to this tale, I needed her as She was the one character I actually liked completely.
So a brief description of The Art Of Hiding is Nina McCarrick has the perfect life.
Until that is her husband Finn dies in a car crash leaving Nina and their Two sons in a mountain of debt and their whole lives unravelling.
Nina moves her boys back to the streets of Southampton where she grew up and The Art Of Hiding is really the story of how Nina and her children cope and grow as individuals as their world implodes.
As I said earlier I couldn't initially connect, but then a bit before the end I felt it and this is mainly what made me bump this up a star, I had a lump in my throat as Nina and her kids visit their former home with Tiggy, it was very poignant and sentimental and after pages of just reading, I actually started to feel the words written.
Overall though this book didn't make me feel good, On finishing, I felt rather sad and deflated and I like my fiction to leave me feeling rejuvenated, an emotional wreck, happy even sad, but not deflated and down that's a no-no.
I really do think I would enjoy other works of Amanda Prowse's as I really did like the writing style It was just the Art Of Hiding just didn't quite hit the mark for me.
So, In conclusion, this is a well-written story hence the three stars, It just personally wasn't quite for me, yourself well we are all diverse in our likes and dislikes so give it a go, I would so love to hear your take on this.
I would like to thank Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an arc of The Art Of Hiding By Amanda Prowse, this is my own voluntary, honest opinion.
Arc Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword (2017) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
Schrodinger's Film
There is a thought experiment that is used to help make sense of the Copenhagen Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics. Say you have a cat, a box and a fragile vial of poison. You put the cat and the poison in the box knowing that the vial may break, you lunatic.
At this point, so goes the thought experiment, until we can perceive whether or not the cat is dead, the cat is dead AND alive simultaneously, and it is only when you look into the box that you know whether you have a friend for life or a Korean meal.
I bring this up because I often insist that I prefer a bad movie with great moments than a movie that’s adequate across the board, but Guy Ritchie’s most recent film certainly puts that to the test. It’s almost my favourite film of the year but is full of nigh-unforgiveable blunders that I don’t think I can watch it again. But I don’t regret seeing it. King Arthur is both good and not good and the cat is still in the box.
Well, I might as well start with what’s good about the film. For one, the character of Arthur himself has a pretty interesting arc. Normally interpretations of the Arthur myth focus on the King bit, so despite it being yet another origin story, it at least is for a character who rarely gets one, and it’s an interesting spin on the reluctant hero arc.
In addition, the world itself feels like it desperately needs a hero. You get the sense that this world is falling apart, which is much better than some other chosen one narratives like Harry Potter, where even when Voldemort took over the wizarding world he didn’t seem to do anything. Also, this is a fantasy film that isn’t just Lord of the Rings again, but a more Celtic mystic mythology that is ripe for exploration.
Then there’s Jude Law, who is so moustache-twirlingly evil that he’s hilarious. He’s clearly having the time of his life playing this cartoon super villain and making him campy enough to be fun while still threatening and compelling when he needs to be.
Shame about the rest of the cast, who all have the same personality, that of “Ah’m just one o’ tha lads, apples and pears, apples and pears.” It’s like a Chelsea game but set in the Dark Ages. So it’s identical to a Chelsea game. The only exception is Astrid Frizbee’s mage, whose intense magic power is so devastating that she manages to put a sleep spell on the audience every time she opens her noise-hole and lets out a monotone bored drone.
There’s also the action, and Hollywood, we need to talk. I thought that shaky cam was just a phase, but I’ve seen you doing it again, and you need to stop. I’ve played VR games where you do nothing but ride particularly unstable cows and came out the other end less motion sick than your sword fighting scenes. Come on, you’re better than this, and we just what’s best for you, so just buy a steady-cam already.
Maybe it’s Guy Ritchie himself, though. Nothing in the film seems to last longer than three minutes aside Arthur’s whining. Sometimes it works, like the very snappy but informative way we see Arthur grow from stupid baby to stupid adult, and sometimes it’s stupid, like when an entire other movie’s worth of content gets squashed into an uninspired montage.
But that’s the great dilemma; the montages are good and bad, like the movie itself. You will only enjoy the movie if you enjoy the movie but if you don’t then you won’t. I write this piece a defeated critic, ladies and gentlemen. Is it worth seeing? I don’t really know. A bigger fan of Guy Ritchie or quantum mechanics than I will probably get something out of it and there are worse movies out there, but it also can’t help but disappoint somehow. The cat isn’t dead, but it has a bit of a cold.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/05/25/schrodingers-film-king-arthur-legend-of-the-sword-review/
At this point, so goes the thought experiment, until we can perceive whether or not the cat is dead, the cat is dead AND alive simultaneously, and it is only when you look into the box that you know whether you have a friend for life or a Korean meal.
I bring this up because I often insist that I prefer a bad movie with great moments than a movie that’s adequate across the board, but Guy Ritchie’s most recent film certainly puts that to the test. It’s almost my favourite film of the year but is full of nigh-unforgiveable blunders that I don’t think I can watch it again. But I don’t regret seeing it. King Arthur is both good and not good and the cat is still in the box.
Well, I might as well start with what’s good about the film. For one, the character of Arthur himself has a pretty interesting arc. Normally interpretations of the Arthur myth focus on the King bit, so despite it being yet another origin story, it at least is for a character who rarely gets one, and it’s an interesting spin on the reluctant hero arc.
In addition, the world itself feels like it desperately needs a hero. You get the sense that this world is falling apart, which is much better than some other chosen one narratives like Harry Potter, where even when Voldemort took over the wizarding world he didn’t seem to do anything. Also, this is a fantasy film that isn’t just Lord of the Rings again, but a more Celtic mystic mythology that is ripe for exploration.
Then there’s Jude Law, who is so moustache-twirlingly evil that he’s hilarious. He’s clearly having the time of his life playing this cartoon super villain and making him campy enough to be fun while still threatening and compelling when he needs to be.
Shame about the rest of the cast, who all have the same personality, that of “Ah’m just one o’ tha lads, apples and pears, apples and pears.” It’s like a Chelsea game but set in the Dark Ages. So it’s identical to a Chelsea game. The only exception is Astrid Frizbee’s mage, whose intense magic power is so devastating that she manages to put a sleep spell on the audience every time she opens her noise-hole and lets out a monotone bored drone.
There’s also the action, and Hollywood, we need to talk. I thought that shaky cam was just a phase, but I’ve seen you doing it again, and you need to stop. I’ve played VR games where you do nothing but ride particularly unstable cows and came out the other end less motion sick than your sword fighting scenes. Come on, you’re better than this, and we just what’s best for you, so just buy a steady-cam already.
Maybe it’s Guy Ritchie himself, though. Nothing in the film seems to last longer than three minutes aside Arthur’s whining. Sometimes it works, like the very snappy but informative way we see Arthur grow from stupid baby to stupid adult, and sometimes it’s stupid, like when an entire other movie’s worth of content gets squashed into an uninspired montage.
But that’s the great dilemma; the montages are good and bad, like the movie itself. You will only enjoy the movie if you enjoy the movie but if you don’t then you won’t. I write this piece a defeated critic, ladies and gentlemen. Is it worth seeing? I don’t really know. A bigger fan of Guy Ritchie or quantum mechanics than I will probably get something out of it and there are worse movies out there, but it also can’t help but disappoint somehow. The cat isn’t dead, but it has a bit of a cold.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/05/25/schrodingers-film-king-arthur-legend-of-the-sword-review/
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Faerie Prince (Creepy Hollow, #2) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
<b>It's weird to get back into a series after over an entire year.</b> Everything that happened back in the <a title="Read Sophia's review of The Faerie Guardian" href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-faerie-guardian-by-rachel-morgan/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">first <i>Creepy Hollow</i> book</a> has either been entirely forgotten or stored away and wouldn't be recovered unless Rachel Morgan refreshed me in the sequel.
I suppose the memorable ones the ones I'm extremely passionate or enraged about are the ones that are remembered. Someone do an experiment on this. I digress.
<b>The second book in the <i>Creepy Hollow</i> series brings us back to Creepy Hollow (of course)</b>, shortly after Violet was handed over to the Unseelie Court by Nate, a half human and half faerie she fell in love with. Violet and Ryn decide to forget their ugly past and become friends, and Violet gets her final assignment as a trainee before becoming a guardian and finding out whether or not she gets the top prize of her graduating class.
<i>The Faerie Prince</i> <b>isn't exactly as action-packed</b> this time, mainly focusing on Violet's final assignment as a trainee before graduation definitely <b>the slowest out of all three books in this first arc of the series</b> (I just hope Morgan doesn't pull off a Cassandra Clare/Erin Hunter). It's more of an observation, lose the magic, and walk home in midst of <b>developing the overall plot of the first arc and Violet's relationship with Ryn.</b>
Reading <i>The Faerie Prince</i> probably <b>opened up my eyes on quite a few things about the series</b> that I probably wouldn't have noticed while reading the first book, and had I actually read the first book again this year, I may not have rated it as high as I did. However, <b>the series definitely has the majority of everything I would want in a book:</b>
<b>A fantastic main character Violet is just like any other ordinary teenager</b>, even if she's not a human. She has her moments and her quirks. She's extremely determined, wanting to do things on her own if at all possible without any help. She also <b>kicks butt and she has an attitude filled with sass and the occasional sarcasm that makes the book more entertaining</b>. It certainly made the second book entertaining. I suppose part of that sarcasm is to be blamed on Ryn.
<b>The writing</b> It's fantastic. The way Morgan writes, <b>you can almost <i>feel</i> Violet's emotions</b> her anxiety, fear, nervousness, happiness, joy, etc.
<blockquote>Oh dear Seelie Queen I'm going to trip in these heels and land on my butt and my dress will tear right down the middle and everyone will see my ridiculous enchanted underwear and </blockquote>
<b>A world I want to live in</b> I would love to live in Creepy Hollow. It might just be the faeries and other cool creatures (like Filigree, who I want as a pet), but <b>I imagine the world to be absolutely magical and fantastical</b>. I even want a story from another guild, so long as the traditions are different. Maybe from another creature? (I repeat: I seriously don't want a bunch of spin-offs, but that topic will be discussed another day.)
<b>The ending of <i>The Faerie Prince</i>, however, felt a little abrupt. It also felt appropriate for some unknown reason</b>, but with the slowness of the book, the fast ending just felt skewed and a little out of place. <b>Everything seems to be going well and peachy for Violet, but all of a sudden, everything just falls apart and the book ends.</b>
I'm not too sure how I feel about that.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-faerie-prince-by-rachel-morgan/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<b>It's weird to get back into a series after over an entire year.</b> Everything that happened back in the <a title="Read Sophia's review of The Faerie Guardian" href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-faerie-guardian-by-rachel-morgan/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">first <i>Creepy Hollow</i> book</a> has either been entirely forgotten or stored away and wouldn't be recovered unless Rachel Morgan refreshed me in the sequel.
I suppose the memorable ones the ones I'm extremely passionate or enraged about are the ones that are remembered. Someone do an experiment on this. I digress.
<b>The second book in the <i>Creepy Hollow</i> series brings us back to Creepy Hollow (of course)</b>, shortly after Violet was handed over to the Unseelie Court by Nate, a half human and half faerie she fell in love with. Violet and Ryn decide to forget their ugly past and become friends, and Violet gets her final assignment as a trainee before becoming a guardian and finding out whether or not she gets the top prize of her graduating class.
<i>The Faerie Prince</i> <b>isn't exactly as action-packed</b> this time, mainly focusing on Violet's final assignment as a trainee before graduation definitely <b>the slowest out of all three books in this first arc of the series</b> (I just hope Morgan doesn't pull off a Cassandra Clare/Erin Hunter). It's more of an observation, lose the magic, and walk home in midst of <b>developing the overall plot of the first arc and Violet's relationship with Ryn.</b>
Reading <i>The Faerie Prince</i> probably <b>opened up my eyes on quite a few things about the series</b> that I probably wouldn't have noticed while reading the first book, and had I actually read the first book again this year, I may not have rated it as high as I did. However, <b>the series definitely has the majority of everything I would want in a book:</b>
<b>A fantastic main character Violet is just like any other ordinary teenager</b>, even if she's not a human. She has her moments and her quirks. She's extremely determined, wanting to do things on her own if at all possible without any help. She also <b>kicks butt and she has an attitude filled with sass and the occasional sarcasm that makes the book more entertaining</b>. It certainly made the second book entertaining. I suppose part of that sarcasm is to be blamed on Ryn.
<b>The writing</b> It's fantastic. The way Morgan writes, <b>you can almost <i>feel</i> Violet's emotions</b> her anxiety, fear, nervousness, happiness, joy, etc.
<blockquote>Oh dear Seelie Queen I'm going to trip in these heels and land on my butt and my dress will tear right down the middle and everyone will see my ridiculous enchanted underwear and </blockquote>
<b>A world I want to live in</b> I would love to live in Creepy Hollow. It might just be the faeries and other cool creatures (like Filigree, who I want as a pet), but <b>I imagine the world to be absolutely magical and fantastical</b>. I even want a story from another guild, so long as the traditions are different. Maybe from another creature? (I repeat: I seriously don't want a bunch of spin-offs, but that topic will be discussed another day.)
<b>The ending of <i>The Faerie Prince</i>, however, felt a little abrupt. It also felt appropriate for some unknown reason</b>, but with the slowness of the book, the fast ending just felt skewed and a little out of place. <b>Everything seems to be going well and peachy for Violet, but all of a sudden, everything just falls apart and the book ends.</b>
I'm not too sure how I feel about that.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-faerie-prince-by-rachel-morgan/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Frankie (2019) in Movies
May 24, 2021
A film about death that dies on its feet.
In "Frankie", the eponymous French movie star (played by Isabelle Huppert) is dying of cancer and gathers her complex family and friends around her for one last 'family holiday' in the picturesque Portuguese town of Sintra. We follow the events of a single day of the vacation as frictions and back-stories of the players become more evident.
Positives:
- Sintra looks gorgeous: as a regular visitor to Portugal's Silver Coast, it's a place I've not yet visited. The cinematography of the region makes me want to change that.
- There are a couple of decent scenes in the movie: both involving the trustworthy Greg Kinnear: one involving him trying to sell a film idea to Frankie (who knows, but won't tell him, that she won't be around for it); and another with Kinnear and Tomei at their hotel.
Negatives:
- Where do I start.... the film is as dull as dishwater!
-- A criticism I had of the otherwise impressive "Nomadland" was that the story arc of the leading character was shallow and not very compelling. The story arc here is a bloody straight line! Virtually nothing happens in the movie and it goes nowhere. Events occur as isolated snippets in the storyline. For example, the 'loss' of an expensive bracelet is randomly lobbed into the story, but then is never referenced back in any future narrative.
-- When the ending happened (which the illustrious Mrs Movie Man referred to as a "blessing") it was a non-event. The lady behind us in the cinema exclaimed "WHAT????". And I could understand her frustration.
- The direction is distinctly lacking. Aside from the couple of decent scenes (see above), most of the shots feel like first takes, with the actors doing read-throughs of the clunky script to try to work out how to best sell the lines. "OK, time to film it for real now". But director Sachs has already shouted "Cut and Print.... now who's for some more vinos and Pastel de Nata?"! Were they aiming for some sort of naturalistic fumbling of the character's conversations? For that's how it comes across, and it's just awful.
- The script feels like a wasted opportunity. The set-up should have been a good one for an intense drama. And there are flashes (merely flashes) of potential brilliance in there: a formative step-brother/step-sister incident is based around the film "Grease", which is mirrored (either cleverly or purely through coincidence!?) in the beach-side romance of Maya (Sennia Nanua) and Portuguese holiday-maker Pedro (Manuel Sá Nogueira). And does the homosexual Michel (Pascal Greggory) have his sights on Jimmy (Brendan Gleeson)? Or Tiago? Or both? None of these potentially interesting strands ever get tied down.
- Aside from the poor script and the poor direction, some of the acting performances are unconvincing. "The Girl with all the Gifts" was a fabulous film - it made my number 2 slot of 2016! And I called out young Sennia Nanua as "one to watch for the future" as the zombie girl at the heart of the film. Here she was 17 at the time of filming. But I'm afraid I just didn't find her convincing as the moody teen. (By the way, I only single her out, since I was so impressed with her previous performance: with the exception perhaps of Kinnear, Tomei and Carloto Cotta. none of the rest of the cast consistently shine either.)
Summary Thoughts: It's a real shame that my first visit back to the cinema was such a let-down. Ira Sachs is not a director I know, but he comes with a strong reputation (for 2016's "Little Men"). But here he delivers a plain stinker. I'm afraid this movie has a word associated with it, and the word is "Avoid".
(For the full graphical review, please check out "One Mann's Movies" here - https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2021/05/24/frankie-a-film-about-death-that-dies-on-its-feet/. Thanks.)
Positives:
- Sintra looks gorgeous: as a regular visitor to Portugal's Silver Coast, it's a place I've not yet visited. The cinematography of the region makes me want to change that.
- There are a couple of decent scenes in the movie: both involving the trustworthy Greg Kinnear: one involving him trying to sell a film idea to Frankie (who knows, but won't tell him, that she won't be around for it); and another with Kinnear and Tomei at their hotel.
Negatives:
- Where do I start.... the film is as dull as dishwater!
-- A criticism I had of the otherwise impressive "Nomadland" was that the story arc of the leading character was shallow and not very compelling. The story arc here is a bloody straight line! Virtually nothing happens in the movie and it goes nowhere. Events occur as isolated snippets in the storyline. For example, the 'loss' of an expensive bracelet is randomly lobbed into the story, but then is never referenced back in any future narrative.
-- When the ending happened (which the illustrious Mrs Movie Man referred to as a "blessing") it was a non-event. The lady behind us in the cinema exclaimed "WHAT????". And I could understand her frustration.
- The direction is distinctly lacking. Aside from the couple of decent scenes (see above), most of the shots feel like first takes, with the actors doing read-throughs of the clunky script to try to work out how to best sell the lines. "OK, time to film it for real now". But director Sachs has already shouted "Cut and Print.... now who's for some more vinos and Pastel de Nata?"! Were they aiming for some sort of naturalistic fumbling of the character's conversations? For that's how it comes across, and it's just awful.
- The script feels like a wasted opportunity. The set-up should have been a good one for an intense drama. And there are flashes (merely flashes) of potential brilliance in there: a formative step-brother/step-sister incident is based around the film "Grease", which is mirrored (either cleverly or purely through coincidence!?) in the beach-side romance of Maya (Sennia Nanua) and Portuguese holiday-maker Pedro (Manuel Sá Nogueira). And does the homosexual Michel (Pascal Greggory) have his sights on Jimmy (Brendan Gleeson)? Or Tiago? Or both? None of these potentially interesting strands ever get tied down.
- Aside from the poor script and the poor direction, some of the acting performances are unconvincing. "The Girl with all the Gifts" was a fabulous film - it made my number 2 slot of 2016! And I called out young Sennia Nanua as "one to watch for the future" as the zombie girl at the heart of the film. Here she was 17 at the time of filming. But I'm afraid I just didn't find her convincing as the moody teen. (By the way, I only single her out, since I was so impressed with her previous performance: with the exception perhaps of Kinnear, Tomei and Carloto Cotta. none of the rest of the cast consistently shine either.)
Summary Thoughts: It's a real shame that my first visit back to the cinema was such a let-down. Ira Sachs is not a director I know, but he comes with a strong reputation (for 2016's "Little Men"). But here he delivers a plain stinker. I'm afraid this movie has a word associated with it, and the word is "Avoid".
(For the full graphical review, please check out "One Mann's Movies" here - https://bob-the-movie-man.com/2021/05/24/frankie-a-film-about-death-that-dies-on-its-feet/. Thanks.)
Merissa (12058 KP) rated Make Me Yours (Isle of the Forgotten #3) in Books
May 19, 2017
Make Me Yours (Isle of the Forgotten #3) by Tiffany Roberts
Make Me Yours is the third full length novel in the Isle of the Forgotten series, and we focus on Gaelin who we have met before, and Mayra, who was alluded to in Make Me Whole. Gaelin knew that he would meet his mate on the Isle, but never thought that he would be partnered with a demon! May has done enough that she actually sees being on the Isle as being free for the first time in 200 years. Now, of course, things aren't going to go smoothly for these two, even if the whole 'matedom' is mentioned a lot sooner than in the previous books. There is the whole evil necromancer, twisted Justicar, and not forgetting Mayra's twin who is controlled by a blood bond with the aforementioned necromancer! So there is plenty here to keep you occupied as you read the latest instalment of this brilliant series.
Whilst Morthanion and Aria remain my favourites of the series, it was great to catch up with the others in this book - even Quil who didn't get a full book. Whilst I can appreciate the whole alpha male protecting his mate, I thought that the equality within the relationship was a bit better in this book, as Mayra is a demon in her own right. Definitely the yin to Gaelin's yang. These two worked and played well together, whilst Gaelin was still in protective mode, so everyone was happy.
With an overall story arc, I would recommend that this is read as part of a series, rather than a standalone. It was very well written, with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt the reading flow. Plenty of action and a surprise at the end, I loved every word. Definitely recommended by me, and I can't wait for the next book to come along!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Whilst Morthanion and Aria remain my favourites of the series, it was great to catch up with the others in this book - even Quil who didn't get a full book. Whilst I can appreciate the whole alpha male protecting his mate, I thought that the equality within the relationship was a bit better in this book, as Mayra is a demon in her own right. Definitely the yin to Gaelin's yang. These two worked and played well together, whilst Gaelin was still in protective mode, so everyone was happy.
With an overall story arc, I would recommend that this is read as part of a series, rather than a standalone. It was very well written, with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt the reading flow. Plenty of action and a surprise at the end, I loved every word. Definitely recommended by me, and I can't wait for the next book to come along!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Hazel (1853 KP) rated This Raging Light in Books
May 25, 2017
Hard to put down
This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This Raging Light is a contemporary young adult debut novel by Estelle Laure. It is a fast paced story of family, friendship and first love. Seventeen-year-old Lucille should be worrying about her senior year at school, spending time with her best friend Eden and admiring Eden’s twin brother, Digby. Instead both parents have disappeared, leaving 9-year-old Wren and a pile of bills in Lucille’s unprepared hands.
Whilst trying to keep up appearances so that no one finds out what is going on at home, Lucille struggles to maintain her friendship with words-of-wisdom-quoting Eden and curb her ever-growing fascination with Digby.
Laure’s writing style instantly connects the reader with Lucille’s personality and circumstance. Lucille is an admirable character who has already been through so much before the story even began. Her father had a mental breakdown and then disappeared from the hospital with no word of where he was going. At a time in their life when they needed as much support as possible, Lucille and Wren’s mother takes off as well. It is unfathomable how Lucille managed to cope and keep it secret for so long; readers are sure to question how they would cope in the same situation.
Toward the beginning of the book the phrases used to describe Lucille’s father and his mental health problems were a bit stigmatic. This almost made mental illness appear to be a negative problem to be avoided and shunned. Hopefully this will not fuel any reader’s prejudices about the mental ill.
Lucille and Digby’s relationship was a little confusing. It was not delved into deep enough to create any climax within the storyline. The key theme was about Lucille surviving on her own rather than her romantic experiences.
Overall, This Raging Light is so easy to read that many people will find it difficult to put down. Lucille is such a lovely character that you will want to see through to the very end to make sure she is okay and looked after.
This Raging Light is a contemporary young adult debut novel by Estelle Laure. It is a fast paced story of family, friendship and first love. Seventeen-year-old Lucille should be worrying about her senior year at school, spending time with her best friend Eden and admiring Eden’s twin brother, Digby. Instead both parents have disappeared, leaving 9-year-old Wren and a pile of bills in Lucille’s unprepared hands.
Whilst trying to keep up appearances so that no one finds out what is going on at home, Lucille struggles to maintain her friendship with words-of-wisdom-quoting Eden and curb her ever-growing fascination with Digby.
Laure’s writing style instantly connects the reader with Lucille’s personality and circumstance. Lucille is an admirable character who has already been through so much before the story even began. Her father had a mental breakdown and then disappeared from the hospital with no word of where he was going. At a time in their life when they needed as much support as possible, Lucille and Wren’s mother takes off as well. It is unfathomable how Lucille managed to cope and keep it secret for so long; readers are sure to question how they would cope in the same situation.
Toward the beginning of the book the phrases used to describe Lucille’s father and his mental health problems were a bit stigmatic. This almost made mental illness appear to be a negative problem to be avoided and shunned. Hopefully this will not fuel any reader’s prejudices about the mental ill.
Lucille and Digby’s relationship was a little confusing. It was not delved into deep enough to create any climax within the storyline. The key theme was about Lucille surviving on her own rather than her romantic experiences.
Overall, This Raging Light is so easy to read that many people will find it difficult to put down. Lucille is such a lovely character that you will want to see through to the very end to make sure she is okay and looked after.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Etta and Otto and Russell and James in Books
May 28, 2017
Underwhelming
This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Emma Hooper's novel Etta and Otto and Russell and James explores both the present and the past of three particular characters. Etta is an elderly woman suffering with Alzheimer's who decides to go for a walk and never come home. She first met her husband Otto in her late teens shortly before he enlisted in the army to fight abroad. Russell lives on the farm next to Etta and Otto and was also a childhood friend of Otto and quite close to Etta whilst Otto was away.
Etta's walk becomes public knowledge as she is observed walking through long grass in the company of a coyote whom she named James. She has very little on her, the most important being a note reading " Etta Gloria Kinnick of Deerdale Farm. 83 years old in August." This is to remind her of who she is in case she ever forgets.
The character's pasts are interesting to read about, in particularly the contrast between Etta's more comfortable upbringing and Otto's life on the farm being the seventh child in an extremely large family. The present day, however, was not as interesting. I never understood the significance of Etta's walk and the latter half of the novel became really confusing. At some points I was uncertain which character was being spoken about. Although the name Otto was used, the scene seemed more appropriate for Etta's situation. Whether this was intentional or a mistake I am unsure.
Another thing that made the story confusing to read was the lack of speech punctuation. Occasionally it was hard to determine who was speaking and who was replying; what was speech and what was not. I have read other books that use this structure and even though it's purpose may have related to the type of story being told, it does make it hard to fully comprehend.
This book gets off to a shaky start but I was always expecting it to improve. Unfortunately I was left disappointed.
Emma Hooper's novel Etta and Otto and Russell and James explores both the present and the past of three particular characters. Etta is an elderly woman suffering with Alzheimer's who decides to go for a walk and never come home. She first met her husband Otto in her late teens shortly before he enlisted in the army to fight abroad. Russell lives on the farm next to Etta and Otto and was also a childhood friend of Otto and quite close to Etta whilst Otto was away.
Etta's walk becomes public knowledge as she is observed walking through long grass in the company of a coyote whom she named James. She has very little on her, the most important being a note reading " Etta Gloria Kinnick of Deerdale Farm. 83 years old in August." This is to remind her of who she is in case she ever forgets.
The character's pasts are interesting to read about, in particularly the contrast between Etta's more comfortable upbringing and Otto's life on the farm being the seventh child in an extremely large family. The present day, however, was not as interesting. I never understood the significance of Etta's walk and the latter half of the novel became really confusing. At some points I was uncertain which character was being spoken about. Although the name Otto was used, the scene seemed more appropriate for Etta's situation. Whether this was intentional or a mistake I am unsure.
Another thing that made the story confusing to read was the lack of speech punctuation. Occasionally it was hard to determine who was speaking and who was replying; what was speech and what was not. I have read other books that use this structure and even though it's purpose may have related to the type of story being told, it does make it hard to fully comprehend.
This book gets off to a shaky start but I was always expecting it to improve. Unfortunately I was left disappointed.