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Merissa (12051 KP) rated The Wicked (Mythology #2) in Books
May 31, 2023
The second book in the Mythology series continues pretty much where book one finished. Micah and Hope are together, but Micah is having to fight his instincts every step of the way, which has an impact on how he and Hope are. She is supportive in every sense, but she can't fight every battle for him. Things are not easy for them both though, either at school or in their personal lives. They both have choices to make and things to do, which will lead them in differing ways. Will they be able to work this through?
This is a full-on and action-packed book. Although I enjoyed it, it didn't have as much impact on me as the first one, I think because it is quite fragmented into which story is currently being told. Don't get me wrong, I understand that this is the way it needs to be to cover everything and to get the story told, I'm just not a big fan of separate storylines within one.
This is well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that I found. The storyline was smooth (within each particular story) and culminated together nicely at the end. A good addition to the series, and I'm still looking forward to continuing Micah and Hope's story.
* Verified Purchase on Amazon *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 31, 2016
This is a full-on and action-packed book. Although I enjoyed it, it didn't have as much impact on me as the first one, I think because it is quite fragmented into which story is currently being told. Don't get me wrong, I understand that this is the way it needs to be to cover everything and to get the story told, I'm just not a big fan of separate storylines within one.
This is well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that I found. The storyline was smooth (within each particular story) and culminated together nicely at the end. A good addition to the series, and I'm still looking forward to continuing Micah and Hope's story.
* Verified Purchase on Amazon *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 31, 2016
David McK (3425 KP) rated The Tomorrow War (2021) in Movies
Aug 27, 2021 (Updated Nov 23, 2024 - 1:48 PM)
I was unaware until a spot of research after I had watched this (via Amazon Prime) that this was actually one of those movies that was originally meant to be shown in the cinema.
And then the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
Which - aside from the obvious! - is a pity where this was concerned: I do feel that it would have had more of an impact, more of a presence, on the big screen than on the small.
The plot is a take on the usual timey-wimey (to steal a phrase from the BBCs Doctor Who) type of stuff, where visitors from the future (IIRC, about 30 years or so) arrive in the present to recruit their ancestors to fight in an ongoing war against alien 'White Spikes' invaders: a war which humanity is currently losing.
The film then follows Chris Pratt's ex-military (natch) character Dan Forester, who ends up being one of those drafted to fight in the future: I say drafted, as the tour of duty is only meant to be about 7 days long, but most don't make it back or come back horribly (and psychologically) scarred, so - not surprising - most people try to avoid having to go!
Yes, if you think about it too much your head will probably hurt from all the paradoxes involved ...
Yes, it's enjoyable
And then the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
Which - aside from the obvious! - is a pity where this was concerned: I do feel that it would have had more of an impact, more of a presence, on the big screen than on the small.
The plot is a take on the usual timey-wimey (to steal a phrase from the BBCs Doctor Who) type of stuff, where visitors from the future (IIRC, about 30 years or so) arrive in the present to recruit their ancestors to fight in an ongoing war against alien 'White Spikes' invaders: a war which humanity is currently losing.
The film then follows Chris Pratt's ex-military (natch) character Dan Forester, who ends up being one of those drafted to fight in the future: I say drafted, as the tour of duty is only meant to be about 7 days long, but most don't make it back or come back horribly (and psychologically) scarred, so - not surprising - most people try to avoid having to go!
Yes, if you think about it too much your head will probably hurt from all the paradoxes involved ...
Yes, it's enjoyable
Deborah (162 KP) rated Richard III: The King in the Car Park in Books
Dec 21, 2018
I quote from the final page of this publication: "The writer of this book will face similar virulent criticism. It will be savaged in the book reviews on Amazon, mainly by non-readers, to take its ratings and thus popularity down." In fact, this is the last, but by no means the only rant by the author who appears to have a definite chip on his shoulder for some reason. Since he subjects Thomas Penn's work, 'The Winter King' to such virulent criticism, one can only suspect that he was turned down by Penn's publisher. One can hardly be surprised. I have read this book, despite wanting on a number of occasions to give up in disgust. It is full of errors of spelling (e.g. youngest for younger, now instead of not), so has evidently not had either a proof reader or an editor. There are also many factual errors with names and titles becoming hopelessly confused. On one page we're told that Sir James Tyrell was hanged and a couple of pages later we're told that Henry Tudor was so kind as to merely condescend to cut his head off!
I will admit that with pro-Ricardian sympathies I was probably never going to like this book, but it is a bit of a mess and feels like another case of jumping on the bandwagon. There is no index, no footnotes/endnotes and only a partial list of sources, which is enough to raise questions about academic rigour. If you are going to publish opinions, particular in The Great Debate, these really should be backed up by factual evidence. I think I am most irked by the hypocrisy of Mr Breverton telling us at one point that he is going to take a fresh impartial look at the subject and then immediately showing us exactly which colour he prefers his roses.
His list, near the back of the volume, of all the 'crimes' he thinks Richard III was guilty of really does teeter on the brink of blindness and absurdity. Apparently he is guilty in the case of the Earl of Warwick, son of Richard's older brother, George of Clarence, but whose claim to the throne was barred by his father's attainder (always reversible, but Warwick was then only a child of about 8 years). I'm pretty sure this Warwick was sent to Sheriff Hutton Castle to be brought up with other young persons, as befitted his status by Richard. Of course, as soon as Henry Tudor usurped the throne, this boy was locked up in the Tower only to be executed later on a trumped up charge. I think I know who the guilty party is in that case.
That is my frank opinion on this volume; I will now expect said author to savage me as he has everyone else on Amazon who has pointed out the self-evident shortcomings in this work.
I will admit that with pro-Ricardian sympathies I was probably never going to like this book, but it is a bit of a mess and feels like another case of jumping on the bandwagon. There is no index, no footnotes/endnotes and only a partial list of sources, which is enough to raise questions about academic rigour. If you are going to publish opinions, particular in The Great Debate, these really should be backed up by factual evidence. I think I am most irked by the hypocrisy of Mr Breverton telling us at one point that he is going to take a fresh impartial look at the subject and then immediately showing us exactly which colour he prefers his roses.
His list, near the back of the volume, of all the 'crimes' he thinks Richard III was guilty of really does teeter on the brink of blindness and absurdity. Apparently he is guilty in the case of the Earl of Warwick, son of Richard's older brother, George of Clarence, but whose claim to the throne was barred by his father's attainder (always reversible, but Warwick was then only a child of about 8 years). I'm pretty sure this Warwick was sent to Sheriff Hutton Castle to be brought up with other young persons, as befitted his status by Richard. Of course, as soon as Henry Tudor usurped the throne, this boy was locked up in the Tower only to be executed later on a trumped up charge. I think I know who the guilty party is in that case.
That is my frank opinion on this volume; I will now expect said author to savage me as he has everyone else on Amazon who has pointed out the self-evident shortcomings in this work.
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Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated The Boys in TV
Jul 7, 2020
A Gritty Superhero Drama With Equal Parts Dark Comedy, Blood And Violence
The Boys is a 2019 black comedy/action/superhero/drama web tv series developed by Eric Kripke for Amazon. It was produced by Sony Pictures Television, Amazon Studios, Kripke Enterprises, Point Grey Pictures, Original Film, Kickstart Entertainment and KFL Knightsky Productions. Executive producters on the show include Erick Kripke, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Neal H. Moritz, Pavun Shetty, Ori Marmur, Dan Trachtenberg, Ken. F. Levin and Jason Netter. The series stars actors Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Anthony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Dominique McElligot and Jessie T. Usher.
Hugh "Hughie" Campbell (Jack Quaid) is a regular guy living in a city where superpowered people are recognized as heroes by the general public and owned by a powerful corporation Vought International, which markets and monetizes them. Outside of their heroic personas, these heroes are arrogant and corrupt, none more so than the Seven, Vought's premier superhero team. After his girlfriend is killed by A-Train (Jessie T. Usher), one of the Seven, Hughie is sought out by Billy Butcher (Karl Urban), a man who despises all superpowered people, and whose goal is to "spank the bastards when they get out of line".
This show is awesome. I was blown away by how much I liked it and binged watched it in one day. It reminded me of Watchmen a little bit in how it was a darker version of a superhero world. I really liked how it balanced the dark comedy with the violence and pacing of the plot. It was incredibly violent though, with lots of blood and gore. The acting was really good too with the actors being believable in their roles. I enjoyed the character development from several of the characters like Hughie and Starlight. Even the Deep, who I disliked was able to make me feel sorry for him in a couple of parts. The special effects were pretty top notch and I hardly noticed anything I didn't think fit or stuck out in a wrong way. The twists in the plot as the story progressed really kept me into it. It also had a lot of emotional scenes that I didn't think it would. There were a couple of things that bothered me like when a character acted out of character or did something that I didn't understand their motivations, and also the weird relationship between Homelander and Madelynn Stillwell. The latter of which you have more understanding towards the end. The only thing that really disappointed me was that there were only 8 episodes for the season. I almost gave this show a 9 but like I said there were a couple of things that I didn't like with it, still I give this show a 8/10. It also gets my "Must See Seal Of Approval". You really got to check this show out if you haven't seen it.
Hugh "Hughie" Campbell (Jack Quaid) is a regular guy living in a city where superpowered people are recognized as heroes by the general public and owned by a powerful corporation Vought International, which markets and monetizes them. Outside of their heroic personas, these heroes are arrogant and corrupt, none more so than the Seven, Vought's premier superhero team. After his girlfriend is killed by A-Train (Jessie T. Usher), one of the Seven, Hughie is sought out by Billy Butcher (Karl Urban), a man who despises all superpowered people, and whose goal is to "spank the bastards when they get out of line".
This show is awesome. I was blown away by how much I liked it and binged watched it in one day. It reminded me of Watchmen a little bit in how it was a darker version of a superhero world. I really liked how it balanced the dark comedy with the violence and pacing of the plot. It was incredibly violent though, with lots of blood and gore. The acting was really good too with the actors being believable in their roles. I enjoyed the character development from several of the characters like Hughie and Starlight. Even the Deep, who I disliked was able to make me feel sorry for him in a couple of parts. The special effects were pretty top notch and I hardly noticed anything I didn't think fit or stuck out in a wrong way. The twists in the plot as the story progressed really kept me into it. It also had a lot of emotional scenes that I didn't think it would. There were a couple of things that bothered me like when a character acted out of character or did something that I didn't understand their motivations, and also the weird relationship between Homelander and Madelynn Stillwell. The latter of which you have more understanding towards the end. The only thing that really disappointed me was that there were only 8 episodes for the season. I almost gave this show a 9 but like I said there were a couple of things that I didn't like with it, still I give this show a 8/10. It also gets my "Must See Seal Of Approval". You really got to check this show out if you haven't seen it.
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Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated In a Corner, Darkly: Volume 2 in Books
May 15, 2018
I seem to be on an anthology binge here lately, perhaps because the stories, being in bitesized morsels, are easier for me to swallow while I edge out of a reading slump. In A Corner, Darkly: Volume 2 is a request I received a few months ago, coinciding with a more recent edition of the collection from Sue Rovens. While it still has some editing issues (I ended up purchasing it because I lost my review copy), the book certainly plays host to several entertaining stories with interesting twists.
“When the Earth Bled” is undoubtedly one of my favorites. For the most part, these stories are rather tame but Rovens does hint at the capability of making one’s stomach curl. I’ll definitely be interested in seeing more of what she’s got, especially if her full length books reflect the perfect length of her shorter tales.
A little more of the horrifying and another pass on editing would make this a four or five skull read. However, due to the errors and the fact that some of the tales weren’t all that terrifying, I’m going to have to go with a midway rating. Rovens has a lot of potential which I’d like to see come through in future works.
I’d like to thank the author for providing me with a free copy of this book (which I lost) in exchange for an honest review. This title is available for $1.99 on Amazon.
“When the Earth Bled” is undoubtedly one of my favorites. For the most part, these stories are rather tame but Rovens does hint at the capability of making one’s stomach curl. I’ll definitely be interested in seeing more of what she’s got, especially if her full length books reflect the perfect length of her shorter tales.
A little more of the horrifying and another pass on editing would make this a four or five skull read. However, due to the errors and the fact that some of the tales weren’t all that terrifying, I’m going to have to go with a midway rating. Rovens has a lot of potential which I’d like to see come through in future works.
I’d like to thank the author for providing me with a free copy of this book (which I lost) in exchange for an honest review. This title is available for $1.99 on Amazon.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated An Undeniable Rogue (Rogues Club, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
With all the rave reviews at Amazon I really thought I'd like this book; too bad I was wrong. I really don't think it is anything out of the ordinary as the reviews state or imply. For me the story just seemed to plod along and never get anywhere interesting. I've read similar stories/plots that I've enjoyed much, much more, which were written in a way that let the reader into the story and didn't hold them at a distance. That's the way all Annette Blair books I've read have made me feel, I've never connected to any of them with the exception of The Butterfly Garden, which I loved and why I continue to read her books.
In this book I increasingly began to dislike Sabrina, but liked Gideon enough (with the exception of his liking, let alone loving, Sabrina). Even with her past, I felt she was too much of a Mary Sue and didn't have any redeeming features. For the most part I found her boring, tedious, stupid, and unworthy of Gideon. I will read the others in the Rogue series because (1) I have them lying around and (2) the next book sounds intriguing (hey, what can I say, I like scarred and/or tortured heroes! :P). I'll continue to give Annette Blair a chance so I can see if she has captured the magic that she had in The Butterfly Garden.
In this book I increasingly began to dislike Sabrina, but liked Gideon enough (with the exception of his liking, let alone loving, Sabrina). Even with her past, I felt she was too much of a Mary Sue and didn't have any redeeming features. For the most part I found her boring, tedious, stupid, and unworthy of Gideon. I will read the others in the Rogue series because (1) I have them lying around and (2) the next book sounds intriguing (hey, what can I say, I like scarred and/or tortured heroes! :P). I'll continue to give Annette Blair a chance so I can see if she has captured the magic that she had in The Butterfly Garden.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Red Hot Fury (Shades of Fury, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
For about the first forty pages, RED HOT FURY has a rocky start, but after it gets over that hump it's a worthwhile read. The Furies are an interesting breed that brings a welcome change from all the vampires, weres, witches, et al. to the urban fantasy genre, and the author adds her own spin to the species. Marissa, or rather Riss, is a tough, sarcastic, sure-of-herself character that won't appeal to everyone, but if you like them more on the gritty side then she might be the heroine for you. The world is interesting and there are good ideas, which includes Greek, Egyptian, and European mythology, but unfortunately the execution could have been better. Sometimes I was confused by explanations of the world, organizations, magic, etc., all of which, at times, were vague and periodically the dialogue fell flat. Adding to that, there was an unnecessary number of action scenes and a few too many characters to keep completely straight. However, there were some nice twists and turns, and although I saw the big reveal coming a mile away, I enjoyed the book and will look for the second in the series. Hopefully, all the kinks will be ironed out for that one. It's not quite a 4-star book, but a little better than a 3, so I'll settle for 3.5 stars.
Provided to me free for review through Amazon Vine.
Provided to me free for review through Amazon Vine.
Christine A. (965 KP) rated Finding Grace in Books
Feb 24, 2019
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
At what age do you allow your child to walk home from a friend's house alone? It is an argument many couples have had for decades. In Finding Grace by K.L. Slater, Lucie and Blake Sullivan agree to allow Gracie to walk home from her friend's house the day after her ninth birthday. What Gracie does not know is both sets of parents have agreed to watch her walk halfway. What could go wrong? It is a 5 minute walk, on the same street, and without her knowing, Gracie would be watched the whole time. Except Gracie never arrives home.
K.L. Slater writes about a fear parents are constantly worried about. Everyone has a past. Many of those prior events are ones we would like to keep hidden. She shows that every couple has secrets from each other and from the rest of the world.
She is able to reveal the main characters' secrets in a way that I continued rooting for all of them to come out this alright.
Her novel is fast paced and difficult to put down. This is the 1st novel of hers I have read and have added her to my "author to read" list.
Review published on Philomathinphila.com, Smashbomb, Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble on 2/24/19.
At what age do you allow your child to walk home from a friend's house alone? It is an argument many couples have had for decades. In Finding Grace by K.L. Slater, Lucie and Blake Sullivan agree to allow Gracie to walk home from her friend's house the day after her ninth birthday. What Gracie does not know is both sets of parents have agreed to watch her walk halfway. What could go wrong? It is a 5 minute walk, on the same street, and without her knowing, Gracie would be watched the whole time. Except Gracie never arrives home.
K.L. Slater writes about a fear parents are constantly worried about. Everyone has a past. Many of those prior events are ones we would like to keep hidden. She shows that every couple has secrets from each other and from the rest of the world.
She is able to reveal the main characters' secrets in a way that I continued rooting for all of them to come out this alright.
Her novel is fast paced and difficult to put down. This is the 1st novel of hers I have read and have added her to my "author to read" list.
Review published on Philomathinphila.com, Smashbomb, Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble on 2/24/19.