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*** I received a free advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***
I have read Adrian Tchakovsky's Shadows of the Apt series and loved it.
I recently read his Dogs of War and enjoyed it. However I think this has somewhat tainted Ironclads for me.
Ireonclads sees us again in the near-future where the UK (read as England which annoyed me, being Scottish) has gained independence from Europe and subsequently gone bust and been bought over by the USA. The USA is likewise invading or at war with much of the rest of the world. These wars are now fought mainly in corporate interest (but then what's new *cough gulf war cough*) with armies of poorly equipped government soldiers being dent in to conflict occasionally supported by corporate playboys (generally the heir to the corporate fortunes) in their massive armoured scion suits (hence iron-clad) where they are fully protected from pretty much everything. These playboys tend to be captured by each other and ransomed back to their families, guffawing at their japes all the way.
The story sees one small group of US soldiers sent in to deepest darkest Sweden to rescue one such playboy who got himself too far ahead of the army and appears to have gone missing but without ransom (without his scion suit).
Being a short (200 pages) book worked well for me, I felt any more scenes or narrative would have felt like padding and this was its natural length.
However, for me this book felt like the notes or background story to Dogs of War and has suffered from my having read the latter. That book notes that wars used to be fought with machines and robots but moves on to cybernetically enhanced animals. This book felt like a side story or introduction to the Dogs of War world and little more.
Other aspects of the story chimed with that of Dogs of War as well and showed the author to be a little short of ideas - living beings with their brains/bodies cybernetically enhanced, swarms of insects used to disrupt communications, the USA being a little bit invadey and corrupt etc.
While this is not my usual cup of tea, I have enjoyed other sci-fi and felt this was a little slapdash. I didn't like the narrative style, finding the blasé, informal tones of the army sergeant both jarring and poorly executed. And while I don't need to be spoon-fed the plot, I found some elements badly or barely explained (what DID the Finns do?!) and the major plot twist neither surprising nor worth the wait.
Tchaikovsky can describe a battle scene well and you get a feel for the whole battle as well as the key conflicts, so the action itself is fairly gripping at times. However, the finished article left me feeling a bit meh.
All in all I am glad I read this, but had expected better things from his sci-fi given Children of Time won the Arthur C Clarke award.
I have read Adrian Tchakovsky's Shadows of the Apt series and loved it.
I recently read his Dogs of War and enjoyed it. However I think this has somewhat tainted Ironclads for me.
Ireonclads sees us again in the near-future where the UK (read as England which annoyed me, being Scottish) has gained independence from Europe and subsequently gone bust and been bought over by the USA. The USA is likewise invading or at war with much of the rest of the world. These wars are now fought mainly in corporate interest (but then what's new *cough gulf war cough*) with armies of poorly equipped government soldiers being dent in to conflict occasionally supported by corporate playboys (generally the heir to the corporate fortunes) in their massive armoured scion suits (hence iron-clad) where they are fully protected from pretty much everything. These playboys tend to be captured by each other and ransomed back to their families, guffawing at their japes all the way.
The story sees one small group of US soldiers sent in to deepest darkest Sweden to rescue one such playboy who got himself too far ahead of the army and appears to have gone missing but without ransom (without his scion suit).
Being a short (200 pages) book worked well for me, I felt any more scenes or narrative would have felt like padding and this was its natural length.
However, for me this book felt like the notes or background story to Dogs of War and has suffered from my having read the latter. That book notes that wars used to be fought with machines and robots but moves on to cybernetically enhanced animals. This book felt like a side story or introduction to the Dogs of War world and little more.
Other aspects of the story chimed with that of Dogs of War as well and showed the author to be a little short of ideas - living beings with their brains/bodies cybernetically enhanced, swarms of insects used to disrupt communications, the USA being a little bit invadey and corrupt etc.
While this is not my usual cup of tea, I have enjoyed other sci-fi and felt this was a little slapdash. I didn't like the narrative style, finding the blasé, informal tones of the army sergeant both jarring and poorly executed. And while I don't need to be spoon-fed the plot, I found some elements badly or barely explained (what DID the Finns do?!) and the major plot twist neither surprising nor worth the wait.
Tchaikovsky can describe a battle scene well and you get a feel for the whole battle as well as the key conflicts, so the action itself is fairly gripping at times. However, the finished article left me feeling a bit meh.
All in all I am glad I read this, but had expected better things from his sci-fi given Children of Time won the Arthur C Clarke award.
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Ross (3284 KP) rated The Iron Circlet in Books
Nov 13, 2017
Wowsers. I was a little tentative starting this the fourth book in the Chronicles of the Black Gate series, as I found the third book to drag somewhat, though it ended well.
That proved unfounded. This book gets straight back in the swing of things right from the off and the pace just does not let up. Other that a little bit of re-gouping and re-organising at the outset, the plot continues with chapter after chapter offering excitement and plot/character development aplenty.
Tharok is still up to no good, running amok with his massive army of orc-like kragh, backed by trolls and a medusa and looking to capitalise on his victory at the end of book 3.
Tiron finds himself deep behind enemy lines and totally out of his depth but finding ways to adapt.
Asho looks to lead the defence of Ennoia against the kragh invasion, while Kethe tries to do the same in Nous.
And Audsley finds himself in an assassination plot and getting a potted history of the real background of the empire.
This is simply fantasy fiction at its best: an epic world created, full of wonderful creatures and characters with an intricate plot which, while covering numerous threads never becomes untenable, with exciting and surprising battle scenes and twists.
Simply put one of the best fantasy books I have ever read, and I am now greedily wolfing down the final book in the series.
That proved unfounded. This book gets straight back in the swing of things right from the off and the pace just does not let up. Other that a little bit of re-gouping and re-organising at the outset, the plot continues with chapter after chapter offering excitement and plot/character development aplenty.
Tharok is still up to no good, running amok with his massive army of orc-like kragh, backed by trolls and a medusa and looking to capitalise on his victory at the end of book 3.
Tiron finds himself deep behind enemy lines and totally out of his depth but finding ways to adapt.
Asho looks to lead the defence of Ennoia against the kragh invasion, while Kethe tries to do the same in Nous.
And Audsley finds himself in an assassination plot and getting a potted history of the real background of the empire.
This is simply fantasy fiction at its best: an epic world created, full of wonderful creatures and characters with an intricate plot which, while covering numerous threads never becomes untenable, with exciting and surprising battle scenes and twists.
Simply put one of the best fantasy books I have ever read, and I am now greedily wolfing down the final book in the series.
Merissa (12934 KP) rated Finding You in Books
Sep 20, 2017
Finding You by Lydia Albano
Finding You is set in a world similar, yet different, to our own, with a possible historical/steampunk type setting. Isla and Tam have been best friends for years, yet Isla can't help but hope for more. Those hopes are dashed when Tam announces that he is signing on to the army, as it means his family will have food for the coming winter. She goes to the station to say goodbye to him, and is literally snatched off the streets. Horror and degradation follow, with her constantly hoping that Tam will rescue her. Once she realises that she has to do this own her own, the pace picks up slightly and the story quickly evolves.
This is a very good debut, with action and story aplenty. Isla is forced to do things that she would never have dreamed possible; that she never thought she would be strong enough for; simply because of the circumstances she found herself in.
With plenty of characters to keep your attention, this is very well written, with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt the reading flow. The pace was smooth, and the scenes flowed from one to the next.
A thoroughly entertaining read (some of it quite dark) that I have no hesitation in recommending.
* 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!
This is a very good debut, with action and story aplenty. Isla is forced to do things that she would never have dreamed possible; that she never thought she would be strong enough for; simply because of the circumstances she found herself in.
With plenty of characters to keep your attention, this is very well written, with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt the reading flow. The pace was smooth, and the scenes flowed from one to the next.
A thoroughly entertaining read (some of it quite dark) that I have no hesitation in recommending.
* 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!
Mayhawke (97 KP) rated The Plank (1967) in Movies
Feb 7, 2018
Genius British Comedy Film-Making
If ever a film deserved the accolade 'classic' this is it. Not in the sense that it is the best of it's genre, but in the sense that it is typical of it. If you needed to to have just one exemplar of British 'silly' humour, this would fit all the requirements. Reminiscent of it's predecessors The Goons, Dad's Army and (early) Carry On, and probably inspirational to followers such as The Goodies and The Comic Strip.Packed with 'faces' that anyone over forty who grew up here will recognise.
Two builders find themselves one floor-board short of a house. So they go to the timber yard to get one.
And that's the story. All of it...except the details. It's the details that make the rest of the film, and make it so damn funny, as the hapless pair unwittingly wreak mayhem and chaos.
It shouldn't need to be said - but I'll say it any way :-) - that there is a level of genius required to make an entire film out of just that. But then it is the work of Eric Sykes (more recently seen in 'Harry P & the Goblet of Fire' and 'The Others', for younger viewers) who has been a mainstay of British humour, both as a writer and performer, for several decades now.
Incindentally if you don't quite 'get' the image of the incompetent British workman portrayed in this film find a copy of Bernard Cribbens' 'Right, Said Fred' and listen to it. Everything will become clear!
Oh, and there's a kitten, too.
Two builders find themselves one floor-board short of a house. So they go to the timber yard to get one.
And that's the story. All of it...except the details. It's the details that make the rest of the film, and make it so damn funny, as the hapless pair unwittingly wreak mayhem and chaos.
It shouldn't need to be said - but I'll say it any way :-) - that there is a level of genius required to make an entire film out of just that. But then it is the work of Eric Sykes (more recently seen in 'Harry P & the Goblet of Fire' and 'The Others', for younger viewers) who has been a mainstay of British humour, both as a writer and performer, for several decades now.
Incindentally if you don't quite 'get' the image of the incompetent British workman portrayed in this film find a copy of Bernard Cribbens' 'Right, Said Fred' and listen to it. Everything will become clear!
Oh, and there's a kitten, too.
Alex Trybus (79 KP) rated Pokémon GO in Apps
Jan 26, 2018
It is very organized (page for Pokemon, page for items, map, etc.) (2 more)
LOVE the idea of traveling and walking around in real life and having that change what happens in the app
The new feature that makes the weather of where you live change your pokemon is amazing
I won't be fully satisfied with the app until you can start "friending" people (1 more)
There are still a lot of glitches that need to be worked out
Good app with a lot of potential
I have been using this gaming app since it first came out almost two years ago. I spent the entire summer running around the neighborhood gathering up an army of Pokemon just like everyone else was doing at the time. I adored it- it was so much fun! Eventually the glitter wore off, just like any new game, and I stopped opening it every single day like I used to. But then, upon hearing of all the new changes to it this year (like raids, battles, etc.) I decided to download it again. I love the new weather feature, and how you can create a little "group" of your favorite Pokemon. I like the app now, and I think it's very enjoyable, but I think it still has MUCH more potential. I won't be fully satisfied with it until you're able to friend people, see their stats, talk to them, and maybe even begin trading Pokemon and items. That being said, should you ever see me in a gym or in a raid battle, my user tag is @alexthegloom !!!
Ross (3284 KP) rated Bumblebee (2018) in Movies
Jan 4, 2019
It really is the Transformers film we all wanted
I had heard this called "the Transformers film we all wanted" and wasn't quite sure what that meant - I knew the recent few films had been slated but didn't think I was that big a fan as a child in the 80s. How wrong I was, I was almost instantly transported back to being a child again! Not only a true Transformers film, but an authentic 80s buddy movie as well!
The film opens with a battle scene between the Autobots and the ... bad ones. At this point I thought "oh not more of this CGI head-ache inducing nonsense". But within a few minutes we are back on Earth and there is a real Goonies/ET vibe about the film. Bumblebee has escaped ... the Transformers planet (meh) and made it to Earth, where he was pursued and badly damaged. After a few years he is taken from a salvage yard and meets his new owner. The next hour or so was good, honest family action film fun - gone was the overly complex, pseudo-science nonsense that most films have now, just simply disbelief-suspending funny action.
The plot was kept simple and it is to the film's credit - Bumblebee is tracked down and hunted by both the US Army and the ... bad robots
Simply and honestly, good family fun. It has been years since I have enjoyed taking the kids to see a film like this.
DECEPTICONS, THAT'S IT!!!
The film opens with a battle scene between the Autobots and the ... bad ones. At this point I thought "oh not more of this CGI head-ache inducing nonsense". But within a few minutes we are back on Earth and there is a real Goonies/ET vibe about the film. Bumblebee has escaped ... the Transformers planet (meh) and made it to Earth, where he was pursued and badly damaged. After a few years he is taken from a salvage yard and meets his new owner. The next hour or so was good, honest family action film fun - gone was the overly complex, pseudo-science nonsense that most films have now, just simply disbelief-suspending funny action.
The plot was kept simple and it is to the film's credit - Bumblebee is tracked down and hunted by both the US Army and the ... bad robots
Simply and honestly, good family fun. It has been years since I have enjoyed taking the kids to see a film like this.
DECEPTICONS, THAT'S IT!!!
14th entry in [a: Simon Scarrow|60636|Simon Scarrow|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1240832197p2/60636.jpg]'s Roman Army series of novels (that began with [b: Under the Eagle|578428|Under the Eagle (Eagle, #1)|Simon Scarrow|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1315349321s/578428.jpg|565359] and which, initially all had that word (Eagle) somewhere in their title), this concerns yet another attempt by the Romans to wipe out the Druidic cult that is responsible for most of the opposition to their conquest after the defeat of Caratacus.
With Macro injured early on and left behind to hold the fort (literally) while Cato marches off, under orders from his legate, to capture the Druid stronghold of the Isle of Mona, the novel is perhaps unusual in that the two main characters are apart for a large part of the read. Things, of course, do not go to plan, with the tail end of the novel (for some reason) reminding me quite strongly of Napoleon's retreat from Moscow ...
it is, of course, always the curse(?) of the literary hero to be in the thick of the action; to act (perhaps) out of character in relation to certain situations and threats - let's face it, it would be a pretty boring read otherwise! With that in mind, I can quite easily forgive the, perhaps, more flagrant examples of throwing the hero in the midst of things simply for the sake of doing so - the prime example being the rescue of the sailors from the shipwreck.
With Macro injured early on and left behind to hold the fort (literally) while Cato marches off, under orders from his legate, to capture the Druid stronghold of the Isle of Mona, the novel is perhaps unusual in that the two main characters are apart for a large part of the read. Things, of course, do not go to plan, with the tail end of the novel (for some reason) reminding me quite strongly of Napoleon's retreat from Moscow ...
it is, of course, always the curse(?) of the literary hero to be in the thick of the action; to act (perhaps) out of character in relation to certain situations and threats - let's face it, it would be a pretty boring read otherwise! With that in mind, I can quite easily forgive the, perhaps, more flagrant examples of throwing the hero in the midst of things simply for the sake of doing so - the prime example being the rescue of the sailors from the shipwreck.
The Lightless Sky: An Afghan Refugee Boy's Journey of Escape to a New Life in Britain
Gulwali Passarlay and Nadene Ghouri
Book
'To risk my life had to mean something. Otherwise what was it all for?' Gulwali Passarlay was sent...