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Arkham Horror: The Card Game
7.6
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Tabletop Game
Something evil stirs in Arkham, and only you can stop it. Blurring the traditional lines between...
Ross (3284 KP) rated The Bone Ships in Books
Oct 28, 2019
This book is the start of RJ Barker's second fantasy series - a swashbuckling adventure. Where in his first series, the Wounded Kingdom, the world-building was minimal (or rather, it was just enough to be able to tell the story he wanted to tell), here the reader is thrown in at the deep end. The world the book takes place in is one where the bones of sea dragons are used to build ships, which themselves are generally used to battle against other nations' ships to steal their bones. This is because there are no more of these dragons, or so they thought ...
The first quarter of this book feels like wading through treacle, it is so thick with unexplained terms, creatures, materials and nautical job titles. Even things like trees are renamed as "gion" or "varisk", making it really hard to make head or tale of.
The story follows Joron, a depressed man lumbered with the role of shipwife (captain) on a black ship (one manned by those serving a prolonged death sentence for numerous crimes). His ship is abruptly taken over by Lucky Meas, shipwife of great renown, and his mediocre crew miraculously turned into one that would die for each other.
The crew soon find themselves secretly hunting down a rumoured dragon, not to kill it and take its bones, but to protect it from those trying to do so. And then kill it where nobody can salvage its bones and, hey presto, the world will be at peace.
The journey part of the story is really quite painfully dragged out, with some long sections of ship training (I am now very well versed in how to load, aim and fire a made up ship's crossbow!) and some mediocre action scenes thrown in to pad the story out (most of which involve the crew embarking on an impossible mission that they accomplish nonetheless).
Joron is not a likeable main character. He, much like the main character in the Wounded Kingdom, is a whiney brat who has to be battered into submission before adding any value to those around him. I didn't care in the least about him, or the fate of those on the ship. There was a point where my reading ground to a halt, when I could no longer take the seemingly endless sea voyage and cringeworthy pirate speak.
The final quarter of the book is more action-packed and some scenes are massive improvements, compelling the reader to carry on. However, by that point I was fed up with the book and the crew and their bloody pointless journey.
The first quarter of this book feels like wading through treacle, it is so thick with unexplained terms, creatures, materials and nautical job titles. Even things like trees are renamed as "gion" or "varisk", making it really hard to make head or tale of.
The story follows Joron, a depressed man lumbered with the role of shipwife (captain) on a black ship (one manned by those serving a prolonged death sentence for numerous crimes). His ship is abruptly taken over by Lucky Meas, shipwife of great renown, and his mediocre crew miraculously turned into one that would die for each other.
The crew soon find themselves secretly hunting down a rumoured dragon, not to kill it and take its bones, but to protect it from those trying to do so. And then kill it where nobody can salvage its bones and, hey presto, the world will be at peace.
The journey part of the story is really quite painfully dragged out, with some long sections of ship training (I am now very well versed in how to load, aim and fire a made up ship's crossbow!) and some mediocre action scenes thrown in to pad the story out (most of which involve the crew embarking on an impossible mission that they accomplish nonetheless).
Joron is not a likeable main character. He, much like the main character in the Wounded Kingdom, is a whiney brat who has to be battered into submission before adding any value to those around him. I didn't care in the least about him, or the fate of those on the ship. There was a point where my reading ground to a halt, when I could no longer take the seemingly endless sea voyage and cringeworthy pirate speak.
The final quarter of the book is more action-packed and some scenes are massive improvements, compelling the reader to carry on. However, by that point I was fed up with the book and the crew and their bloody pointless journey.
Warhammer: Vermintide 2
8.3
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Vermintide is back – darker, bloodier and more intense than ever! Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is...
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Inseparable (Rise of the Iliri #4)
9.0
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DISASTER! THE BLACK BLADES DISBANDED, AN ALLIANCE IN TURMOIL... Growing ever more tender yet always...
Viki: TV Dramas & Movies
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Be entertained with a variety of TV shows and movies from Korea, China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand,...
Darren (1599 KP) rated 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea starts when scientist professor Pierre Aronnax (Lukas) gets assigned to investigate a large number of sinkings in the open ocean, joined by his trusted sidekick Conseil (Lorre). When the ship they are travelling on gets sunk by the creature, Peirre, Conseil and sailor Ned Land (Douglas) go in search of rescue finding the Nautilus seemingly abandoned on the ocean.
The Nautilus captained by Nemo (Mason) tests the men before letting them stay aboard learning the wonders from beneath the ocean and taking on the creatures that have been lurking in the deep.
Thoughts on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Characters – Captain Nemo is the mysterious captain of the Nautilus, he doesn’t follow any over the rules of the ocean as he plans his own way to clean it up with his loyal men, he reluctantly lets the three survivors onboard knowing Professor Aronnax could help his work. He does get frustratingly tired of Ned’s behaviour which puts his crew in danger at times. Ned Land is a sailor that is one of the few survivors from the shipwreck, he doesn’t like Nemo and wants to focus on collecting treasure over learning from the ocean. Professor Pierre Aronnax is one of the most famous scientist in the world, he is welcomed on board the ship because of his reputation which impress Nemo, he jumps at the chance to make huge waves in science onboard the ship. Conseil is the assistant to the professor who quickly starts to side with ned when it comes to the methods being shown onboard the vessel.
Performances – This is a strange way to bill the cast, because James Mason is the main character and he is great to watch when it comes to his speeches and ideas for what his character wants. Kirk Douglas is mostly the comic relief which is fun to see for the most part. Paul Lukas fits the posh scientist role in the film which is the one that can simplify things for the audience. Peter Lorre makes for a good sidekick figure for whoever his character helps.
Story – The story here follows the character of Captain Nemo that must educate three new crew members of the wonders of the ocean, showing them the answers are here instead of in how the world is acting. This is one that shows us science need exploring rather than questioning which takes out characters across the world to see things never imagined for the 1800s. While the story does give us entertainment, it would have been nice to see them ship take on a real creature for more than five minutes instead of going into the science versus sailing talk we most explore.
Adventure/Fantasy/Sci-Fi – The adventure side of this film takes our crew around the world to places they would have never seen to see places only few would have, make new discoveries. The fantasy mixes into the sci-fi because of the films setting in the 1800s where the technology isn’t like anything imaginable.
Settings – The film keep sus out at sea for most of the film, it is the interior of the Nautilus which is fantastic creation here show us just what was in the minds of the people.
Special Effects – The effects for the time were great, they show us what could have been achieved with practical effects and clever camera work.
Scene of the Movie – Squid battle.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Not much creature action.
Final Thoughts – This is a must watch classic of cinema, it reaches levels you might not have expected for the time only to become something you need to admire.
Overall: Must watch classic
https://moviesreview101.com/2019/03/20/20000-leagues-under-the-sea-1954/
The Nautilus captained by Nemo (Mason) tests the men before letting them stay aboard learning the wonders from beneath the ocean and taking on the creatures that have been lurking in the deep.
Thoughts on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Characters – Captain Nemo is the mysterious captain of the Nautilus, he doesn’t follow any over the rules of the ocean as he plans his own way to clean it up with his loyal men, he reluctantly lets the three survivors onboard knowing Professor Aronnax could help his work. He does get frustratingly tired of Ned’s behaviour which puts his crew in danger at times. Ned Land is a sailor that is one of the few survivors from the shipwreck, he doesn’t like Nemo and wants to focus on collecting treasure over learning from the ocean. Professor Pierre Aronnax is one of the most famous scientist in the world, he is welcomed on board the ship because of his reputation which impress Nemo, he jumps at the chance to make huge waves in science onboard the ship. Conseil is the assistant to the professor who quickly starts to side with ned when it comes to the methods being shown onboard the vessel.
Performances – This is a strange way to bill the cast, because James Mason is the main character and he is great to watch when it comes to his speeches and ideas for what his character wants. Kirk Douglas is mostly the comic relief which is fun to see for the most part. Paul Lukas fits the posh scientist role in the film which is the one that can simplify things for the audience. Peter Lorre makes for a good sidekick figure for whoever his character helps.
Story – The story here follows the character of Captain Nemo that must educate three new crew members of the wonders of the ocean, showing them the answers are here instead of in how the world is acting. This is one that shows us science need exploring rather than questioning which takes out characters across the world to see things never imagined for the 1800s. While the story does give us entertainment, it would have been nice to see them ship take on a real creature for more than five minutes instead of going into the science versus sailing talk we most explore.
Adventure/Fantasy/Sci-Fi – The adventure side of this film takes our crew around the world to places they would have never seen to see places only few would have, make new discoveries. The fantasy mixes into the sci-fi because of the films setting in the 1800s where the technology isn’t like anything imaginable.
Settings – The film keep sus out at sea for most of the film, it is the interior of the Nautilus which is fantastic creation here show us just what was in the minds of the people.
Special Effects – The effects for the time were great, they show us what could have been achieved with practical effects and clever camera work.
Scene of the Movie – Squid battle.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Not much creature action.
Final Thoughts – This is a must watch classic of cinema, it reaches levels you might not have expected for the time only to become something you need to admire.
Overall: Must watch classic
https://moviesreview101.com/2019/03/20/20000-leagues-under-the-sea-1954/
Merissa (12929 KP) rated In Pain and Blood (Spellster #1) in Books
Jun 15, 2018
In Pain and Blood (Spellster #1) by Aldrea Alien
In Pain and Blood is the first book in the Spellster series, and has all the hallmarks of everything I enjoy - epic fantasy, m/m, romance, action, and adventure. Dylan has spent his life in 'the Tower' learning how to be a spellster. Magic comes easily to him, but his guardian keeps on telling him to stay safe in the tower, and not to make waves. However, one event shoves him to the forefront, and he sees more of life than he expected. Trying to make his way back to the Tower, he becomes part of a ragtag group and sees life in a completely different way.
This should have been a good book. I really wanted it to be a good book, but it fell short for me on a number of different levels. First of all, it's long. And I mean REALLY long. Now don't get me wrong, I love epic fantasy, and regularly read books of a thick volume. However, for this book, it felt like it needed some serious editing to get some of the monotonous repetition removed. Also, this land is supposed to be under attack, but they manage to completely miss any and every member of either army on their two month trek across the land - which we hear about in great detail. How this book started actually had me going back to check on the blurb as I thought I was reading a completely different book. It does change and become the story the blurb describes, but only after a long start. It is only the two main characters who we really meet, and I wouldn't say I 'know' them very well. Even their companions, who they spend so much time with, aren't really fleshed out. It didn't help when one of the main characters spoke to everyone as 'my dear hunter/my dear warrior/my dear spellster'. I know this was supposed to be one of his quirks, but I got it after the first dozen times. It really didn't need repeating multiple times on every page. The ending, such as it was, is the only thing in the book that felt rushed. Big events happen, something life-changing happens to a supporting character, opinions change, a lifetime's enduring love is pronounced, and it happens at the speed of light.
I struggled to finish this book. It was only my sheer stubborn nature and optimistic belief that it would get better (and if I finished it before it ended, I would never know) that kept me turning the pages to the very end. I am glad I've read it, but I wouldn't recommend it.
* 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!
This should have been a good book. I really wanted it to be a good book, but it fell short for me on a number of different levels. First of all, it's long. And I mean REALLY long. Now don't get me wrong, I love epic fantasy, and regularly read books of a thick volume. However, for this book, it felt like it needed some serious editing to get some of the monotonous repetition removed. Also, this land is supposed to be under attack, but they manage to completely miss any and every member of either army on their two month trek across the land - which we hear about in great detail. How this book started actually had me going back to check on the blurb as I thought I was reading a completely different book. It does change and become the story the blurb describes, but only after a long start. It is only the two main characters who we really meet, and I wouldn't say I 'know' them very well. Even their companions, who they spend so much time with, aren't really fleshed out. It didn't help when one of the main characters spoke to everyone as 'my dear hunter/my dear warrior/my dear spellster'. I know this was supposed to be one of his quirks, but I got it after the first dozen times. It really didn't need repeating multiple times on every page. The ending, such as it was, is the only thing in the book that felt rushed. Big events happen, something life-changing happens to a supporting character, opinions change, a lifetime's enduring love is pronounced, and it happens at the speed of light.
I struggled to finish this book. It was only my sheer stubborn nature and optimistic belief that it would get better (and if I finished it before it ended, I would never know) that kept me turning the pages to the very end. I am glad I've read it, but I wouldn't recommend it.
* 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!
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated A Warrior's Blush in Books
Jan 9, 2020
A Warriors Blush by Shannon Whittall is an action-adventure fantasy story with just a hit of romance. This book could z easily be the beginning of a very interesting series if the author wanted to go that route with it. The ending is also surprising, but I do not encourage any readers to skip ahead in the book to see what I mean.
Lenora Belavier has been held prisoner and was used as a slave in the female prison, Golnar. It is here in Golnar that Lenora makes two names for herself. The first is Iron-Will for the excellent blades she forges. The second is Golnars Ghost, for protecting her fellow prisoners from the guards without them finding out who the ghost is. One day after much planning Lenora escapes from Golnar and brings an eleven-year-old prisoner, Mear, with her. Elijah finds Lenora (who has now adopted a new name) and Mear injured in the desert and takes them to Drodals Keep for healing.
In Drodal Lenora endures training for a magical ability that she does not believe she possesses, by a temperamental Elijah. Mear, on the other hand, seems to be enjoying her freedom and wonders off for some unknown reason. Lenora and Elijah slowly form an unlikely friendship as they start looking into the appearance of Bolgran, the evil monsters controlled by Myrna. Myrna, the evil Queen who Lenora was fighting against when she was arrested has learned of Lenora surviving Golnar and seeking refuge at Drodal. In an attempt to destroy her enemy Myrna floods Drodal with Bolgren and it doesn't look good for the small keep.
What I liked best about this book was that it was not predictable nor was it confusing. The twists in the story were extremely enjoyable and even surprised me. I am purposely leaving these twists out of the review as to not ruin them for the interested reader. What I did not like was how some of the characters and creatures were named similar to each other. The biggest of these issues was Bolgran, a terrible monster, and Brogan, a blacksmith. This did cause a bit of confusion because one is obviously evil and the other is not.
This book is age-appropriate for readers who are at least in high school. Younger readers would enjoy most of the story but would have to be mature. The rape and abuse of female prisoners is a big driving factor for Lenora and readers must be able to handle that. Overall I rate this book 3 out of 4. While it was a good book the name issue felt a little sloppy and lost it some points with me. I would still recommend this book to people who like fantasy but they would have to pay close attention to the names.
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https://www.austinmacauley.com/book/warriors-blush
Lenora Belavier has been held prisoner and was used as a slave in the female prison, Golnar. It is here in Golnar that Lenora makes two names for herself. The first is Iron-Will for the excellent blades she forges. The second is Golnars Ghost, for protecting her fellow prisoners from the guards without them finding out who the ghost is. One day after much planning Lenora escapes from Golnar and brings an eleven-year-old prisoner, Mear, with her. Elijah finds Lenora (who has now adopted a new name) and Mear injured in the desert and takes them to Drodals Keep for healing.
In Drodal Lenora endures training for a magical ability that she does not believe she possesses, by a temperamental Elijah. Mear, on the other hand, seems to be enjoying her freedom and wonders off for some unknown reason. Lenora and Elijah slowly form an unlikely friendship as they start looking into the appearance of Bolgran, the evil monsters controlled by Myrna. Myrna, the evil Queen who Lenora was fighting against when she was arrested has learned of Lenora surviving Golnar and seeking refuge at Drodal. In an attempt to destroy her enemy Myrna floods Drodal with Bolgren and it doesn't look good for the small keep.
What I liked best about this book was that it was not predictable nor was it confusing. The twists in the story were extremely enjoyable and even surprised me. I am purposely leaving these twists out of the review as to not ruin them for the interested reader. What I did not like was how some of the characters and creatures were named similar to each other. The biggest of these issues was Bolgran, a terrible monster, and Brogan, a blacksmith. This did cause a bit of confusion because one is obviously evil and the other is not.
This book is age-appropriate for readers who are at least in high school. Younger readers would enjoy most of the story but would have to be mature. The rape and abuse of female prisoners is a big driving factor for Lenora and readers must be able to handle that. Overall I rate this book 3 out of 4. While it was a good book the name issue felt a little sloppy and lost it some points with me. I would still recommend this book to people who like fantasy but they would have to pay close attention to the names.
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.cpm
https://www.facebook.com/nightreadersreviews
https://www.austinmacauley.com/book/warriors-blush
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Serenade (The Dark Nocturne #1) in Books
Aug 1, 2022
I don't normally read young adult books anymore, but when I read the synopsis for Serenade by Morgan Shamy, I was intrigued. I decided to get the eBook, and I am happy I did because I ended up loving Serenade!
I felt as if the plot of Serenade by Morgan Shamy was very original. Yes, it does have some of the other elements of paranormal fantasy that others of the same genre have such as the evil supernatural and paranormal creatures, but Shamy uses all of that and changes it all around to form a very different narrative. Her background in music and dance really shines through throughout Serenade. Whilst reading this novel, I was kept on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next to November and her school. I also enjoyed how Morgan Shamy is not afraid of killing off any character whether they are minor or major. It made the book that much more suspenseful. There was one major plot twist that I didn't see coming. Although Serenade is a series, there's no major cliff hanger which was a plus.
I loved each and every character in Serenade. Each was well fleshed out, and I felt as if I was reading about actual people instead of characters in a book. November was an awesome main character! While there were a few times, I felt as if she made the wrong decision, I could easily see why she chose to do/act the way she did. It was interesting to see her hatch her plan to take on the baddies of the book as well as how she would stand up for her cousin. There was something very endearing about April, and I think she was my favorite character. There was something so innocent and sweet about her. I wanted a friend like April. In fact, I think I kind of was like April in high school - low self-esteem and never quite fitting in. I never liked Cam, not because he wasn't written well, but I hated how assured of himself he was. I was always drawn to Vincent even if he was moody and broody a lot of the time. My favorite creatures in Serenade were definitely the sylphs. I loved how they could go from being beautiful and alluring to deadly quite suddenly.
Trigger warnings for Serenade include violence, death, and murder.
Overall, Serenade is an original take on the whole paranormal fantasy genre that's full of relatable characters and a plot that sucks you in from the very first page. Once you start reading this novel, you will struggle to put it down. It will have that affect on you. I would definitely recommend Serenade by Morgan Shamy to those aged 14+ who are after a book with a fresh new plot full of action, adventure, and some really cool monsters. I have already started reading Etude, the next book in The Dark Nocturne series by Morgan Shamy!
I felt as if the plot of Serenade by Morgan Shamy was very original. Yes, it does have some of the other elements of paranormal fantasy that others of the same genre have such as the evil supernatural and paranormal creatures, but Shamy uses all of that and changes it all around to form a very different narrative. Her background in music and dance really shines through throughout Serenade. Whilst reading this novel, I was kept on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next to November and her school. I also enjoyed how Morgan Shamy is not afraid of killing off any character whether they are minor or major. It made the book that much more suspenseful. There was one major plot twist that I didn't see coming. Although Serenade is a series, there's no major cliff hanger which was a plus.
I loved each and every character in Serenade. Each was well fleshed out, and I felt as if I was reading about actual people instead of characters in a book. November was an awesome main character! While there were a few times, I felt as if she made the wrong decision, I could easily see why she chose to do/act the way she did. It was interesting to see her hatch her plan to take on the baddies of the book as well as how she would stand up for her cousin. There was something very endearing about April, and I think she was my favorite character. There was something so innocent and sweet about her. I wanted a friend like April. In fact, I think I kind of was like April in high school - low self-esteem and never quite fitting in. I never liked Cam, not because he wasn't written well, but I hated how assured of himself he was. I was always drawn to Vincent even if he was moody and broody a lot of the time. My favorite creatures in Serenade were definitely the sylphs. I loved how they could go from being beautiful and alluring to deadly quite suddenly.
Trigger warnings for Serenade include violence, death, and murder.
Overall, Serenade is an original take on the whole paranormal fantasy genre that's full of relatable characters and a plot that sucks you in from the very first page. Once you start reading this novel, you will struggle to put it down. It will have that affect on you. I would definitely recommend Serenade by Morgan Shamy to those aged 14+ who are after a book with a fresh new plot full of action, adventure, and some really cool monsters. I have already started reading Etude, the next book in The Dark Nocturne series by Morgan Shamy!
