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Mandy and G.D. Burkhead (26 KP) rated Kushiel's Dart (Phèdre's Trilogy, #1) in Books
May 20, 2018
Shelf Life – Kushiel’s Legacy, the Naamah Trilogy, and How Jacqueline Carey Ruined My Ability to Be Impartial About Them
Contains spoilers, click to show
I can honestly say that the nine books that comprise these three trilogies are among the best fantasy available today as well as nine of my all-time favorite books I’ve ever read.
The Spoiler-Free Overview
If you want the shorter, less spoilery answer for what I think of these books: holy crap, yes, they’re as good as everyone says they are. Jacqueline Carey has a way of making me just…feel stuff like no other author can. Plenty of books have caught and held my interest enough that I didn’t want to put them down, but few have made the act of putting them down anyway so torturous. More than once, I hit a point in these stories where I had to drop whatever else I was gonna do that day (that I could realistically drop) just because I had to keep reading to make sure the characters were going to be okay.
This is character-driven fiction at its finest, with people in the pages who come alive and subtly win your heart. More than once, I’ve found reading about their ordeals to be worrying, a little bit painful, and a little bit infuriating (all in a good way, though), and I had to stop and remind myself that these weren’t real people that I was so concerned over and angry for. So if you ever wanted to be really, really invested in the story you’re reading and the people in it, Terre d’Ange is the place to go. All of the eroticism that everyone talks about is just a really nice bonus.
If you want an even shorter answer: do you watch Game of Thrones? Have you read George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire books? Have you at least heard of the fan hype around these stories? The Kushiel and Naamah books are like that, except sexier and with deeper court intrigue. And a lot less incest.
If you want the long answer…
A Dizzying Amount of Adventure Mileage
One thing that has to be said for Kushiel’s Legacy and the Naamah trilogy is that you definitely get your money’s worth of story out of each book. There’s a pattern that I’ve noticed with each of them, which is that you’ll follow the heroine/hero through a massive tribulation, see them endure their hardships and take their small victories where they can, then finally watch matters come to a crux, a climax, and a satisfying resolution…only to realize that you’re only a third of the way through the full page count.
Where most books are content to have one major conflict, Carey packs hers with about three each. The best part is that they’re not laid out in rigid sequence like a series of video game side quests – fight this problem, win, check it off the list, leave it behind and find a new one to fill the word count. No, each new adventure in the same book arises completely organically from the story overall. It makes you realize just how huge a scope these characters’ destinies really are, and just how incredibly wearying it can be and how much seemingly inhuman endurance it takes to be one of the gods’ chosen.
For instance, the first book to kick everything off, Kushiel’s Dart, begins slowly and simply enough. Phedre is an unwanted child who is basically sold into indentured servitude, then trained to be a spy and courtesan while we’re introduced to Terre d’Ange through her eyes over the next couple hundred pages, learning more about the politics and the players in time to watch the drama around them steadily unfold and escalate.
And then her wise mentor gets killed (as wise mentors tend to do), she and her bodyguard companion are betrayed, and the both of them get sold into full-on slavery to the vikings of Skaldia. Plenty of conflict and hardship and planning later, they make their escape and flee into harsh, snowy mountain terrain, falling in love for good measure while they fend off the deadly cold and the pursuit from their enemies. Finally, they make it back to their homeland and clear their names.
This is where most books would be content to stop and maybe leave further contentions for a sequel. Kushiel’s Dart would have been well within its rights to do so as well, and I wouldn’t have complained if it did. But no, it reminds readers, we’re not done yet. There’s a war coming, remember? We talked about this. Catch your breath for a moment, but then we gotta go rally our armies.
So Phedre and Joscelin set off to the wild and secluded island nation of Alba on the other side of an enchanted strait, a body of water where a vengeful, divine power known as the Master of the Straits lives and for some reason prevents almost all contact between the two nations. Arriving safely enough, they find that Alba is also war-torn at the moment, and the armies they had hoped to rally are busy defending their land from another foe. More plotting and intrigue ensues, alliances and promises are made, and with our heroes’ help, the two sides clash in a decisive battle that gains the side we’re rooting for victory as well as gives them their rightful sovereignty back. Now Phedre has the army she needs. After a sudden and unexpected stop at the Master of the Straits’ island, where they learn the secret of his power and guarantee indefinite safe passage between the nations in return for Phedre losing her closest friend, our heroes finally make it back to their homeland again with their army in tow.
Finally! After all of that struggle, we get a happy ending after all. But wait, not yet you don’t, the chunk of pages left at the end remind you. All you did was get your forces together. Good for you. Now you still gotta go actually fight the war with the Skaldi invaders to determine the fate of your entire nation.
So they do. And only after an awesome last-stand battle (the excitement and careful strategy of which will take you completely by surprise if you first entered this book expecting little more than kinky sex scenes) is the story allowed to wrap up in earnest, our heroes finally earning their long-deserved rest. The dangerous and cunning warlord is defeated, the invading army has been pushed back, the new Queen has ascended the throne, Terre d’Ange has been saved, and Phedre and Joscelin are free to finally be together – with the only little niggle being that the real mastermind behind all of their problems is still loose and taunting them. But we can get to that in the next book. Or five.
The Spoiler-Free Overview
If you want the shorter, less spoilery answer for what I think of these books: holy crap, yes, they’re as good as everyone says they are. Jacqueline Carey has a way of making me just…feel stuff like no other author can. Plenty of books have caught and held my interest enough that I didn’t want to put them down, but few have made the act of putting them down anyway so torturous. More than once, I hit a point in these stories where I had to drop whatever else I was gonna do that day (that I could realistically drop) just because I had to keep reading to make sure the characters were going to be okay.
This is character-driven fiction at its finest, with people in the pages who come alive and subtly win your heart. More than once, I’ve found reading about their ordeals to be worrying, a little bit painful, and a little bit infuriating (all in a good way, though), and I had to stop and remind myself that these weren’t real people that I was so concerned over and angry for. So if you ever wanted to be really, really invested in the story you’re reading and the people in it, Terre d’Ange is the place to go. All of the eroticism that everyone talks about is just a really nice bonus.
If you want an even shorter answer: do you watch Game of Thrones? Have you read George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire books? Have you at least heard of the fan hype around these stories? The Kushiel and Naamah books are like that, except sexier and with deeper court intrigue. And a lot less incest.
If you want the long answer…
A Dizzying Amount of Adventure Mileage
One thing that has to be said for Kushiel’s Legacy and the Naamah trilogy is that you definitely get your money’s worth of story out of each book. There’s a pattern that I’ve noticed with each of them, which is that you’ll follow the heroine/hero through a massive tribulation, see them endure their hardships and take their small victories where they can, then finally watch matters come to a crux, a climax, and a satisfying resolution…only to realize that you’re only a third of the way through the full page count.
Where most books are content to have one major conflict, Carey packs hers with about three each. The best part is that they’re not laid out in rigid sequence like a series of video game side quests – fight this problem, win, check it off the list, leave it behind and find a new one to fill the word count. No, each new adventure in the same book arises completely organically from the story overall. It makes you realize just how huge a scope these characters’ destinies really are, and just how incredibly wearying it can be and how much seemingly inhuman endurance it takes to be one of the gods’ chosen.
For instance, the first book to kick everything off, Kushiel’s Dart, begins slowly and simply enough. Phedre is an unwanted child who is basically sold into indentured servitude, then trained to be a spy and courtesan while we’re introduced to Terre d’Ange through her eyes over the next couple hundred pages, learning more about the politics and the players in time to watch the drama around them steadily unfold and escalate.
And then her wise mentor gets killed (as wise mentors tend to do), she and her bodyguard companion are betrayed, and the both of them get sold into full-on slavery to the vikings of Skaldia. Plenty of conflict and hardship and planning later, they make their escape and flee into harsh, snowy mountain terrain, falling in love for good measure while they fend off the deadly cold and the pursuit from their enemies. Finally, they make it back to their homeland and clear their names.
This is where most books would be content to stop and maybe leave further contentions for a sequel. Kushiel’s Dart would have been well within its rights to do so as well, and I wouldn’t have complained if it did. But no, it reminds readers, we’re not done yet. There’s a war coming, remember? We talked about this. Catch your breath for a moment, but then we gotta go rally our armies.
So Phedre and Joscelin set off to the wild and secluded island nation of Alba on the other side of an enchanted strait, a body of water where a vengeful, divine power known as the Master of the Straits lives and for some reason prevents almost all contact between the two nations. Arriving safely enough, they find that Alba is also war-torn at the moment, and the armies they had hoped to rally are busy defending their land from another foe. More plotting and intrigue ensues, alliances and promises are made, and with our heroes’ help, the two sides clash in a decisive battle that gains the side we’re rooting for victory as well as gives them their rightful sovereignty back. Now Phedre has the army she needs. After a sudden and unexpected stop at the Master of the Straits’ island, where they learn the secret of his power and guarantee indefinite safe passage between the nations in return for Phedre losing her closest friend, our heroes finally make it back to their homeland again with their army in tow.
Finally! After all of that struggle, we get a happy ending after all. But wait, not yet you don’t, the chunk of pages left at the end remind you. All you did was get your forces together. Good for you. Now you still gotta go actually fight the war with the Skaldi invaders to determine the fate of your entire nation.
So they do. And only after an awesome last-stand battle (the excitement and careful strategy of which will take you completely by surprise if you first entered this book expecting little more than kinky sex scenes) is the story allowed to wrap up in earnest, our heroes finally earning their long-deserved rest. The dangerous and cunning warlord is defeated, the invading army has been pushed back, the new Queen has ascended the throne, Terre d’Ange has been saved, and Phedre and Joscelin are free to finally be together – with the only little niggle being that the real mastermind behind all of their problems is still loose and taunting them. But we can get to that in the next book. Or five.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated King of the Castle in Tabletop Games
Jul 2, 2020
The King is dead! As the kingdom reels from this sudden turn of events, those eager for power see their opportunity to pounce. Amassing personal armies, the war for the throne begins! Storm the castle, collect potions, capture towers, and conquer your opponents to claim the throne for yourself. Which tactic will lead to success – brute strength or sly strategy? Only one way to find out!
Disclaimer: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this preview. The components pictured are not final. Also, I do not plan to detail the entire rulebook in this review, but rather discuss the main rules and overall flow of the game. Keep an eye out for the Kickstarter launching later this fall! -L
King of the Castle is a game of hand management, grid movement, and take that in which players are battling to be the first to capture and hold the throne. Played over a series of turns, players will move around the board, draw cards, and battle opponents to hinder their progress. To setup, each player is given a Character card at random, selects a Meeple in their chosen color, and places it on one of the various Start spaces on the game board. Shuffle all other cards and place them in a draw deck. Select a player to be the first player, and you are ready to begin!
On your turn, you will take a combination of 2 actions. Those combos are: Move 1 space and draw 1 card, Move 2 spaces, or Draw 2 cards. It is important to note that diagonal movement is not allowed! There are 2 types of cards that can be drawn: Potion cards (special powers/abilities) and Army cards (strength points for duels). Once you have performed your 2 actions, and played any Potion cards from your hand that you want, your turn ends. The game moves on to the next player. If you land on the same space as an opponent, you must duel each other. The dueling players will select as many Army cards from their hand as they wish to play, and will lay them down simultaneously. They may then play up to 3 Potion cards from their hand to influence the strength points of either player, as stated on the Potion cards. Whomever has the most strength points wins the duel, and gets to remain on that space. The loser must discard a card, and is knocked back to the nearest Exit space (depending on their current placement on the board).
In the center of the board are 2 Tower spaces. You must ‘capture’ a Tower in order to fulfill the win conditions. To capture a Tower, you must land on that space and occupy it for one full turn. Once you have captured a Tower, you may move to capture the Throne. The centermost space of the board is the Throne. To capture the Throne, you must first have captured a Tower, and you must enter the Throne space and occupy it for 3 complete and consecutive turns. When you are capturing a Tower or the Throne, you can still be attacked by opponents – so it is important to have a strong hand of cards to ward off enemies and continue your occupation of these valuable spaces. Once a player has occupied the Throne space for 3 consecutive turns, the game ends and that player is named King!
So with all of that said, how does King of the Castle play? Overall, I would say it’s a nice and simple little game. The concept itself is easy to comprehend – draw cards, duel opponents, capture a Tower, and ultimately, the Throne. There is a decent amount of strategy required for success. Not only are you racing to the center of the board, but you also need to amass a strong hand of cards with which you can hinder your opponents. Choosing when to use your Potion cards can affect not only your strategy, but those of your enemies as well. Is your strategy to skirt around your opponents and try to sneak by unnoticed? Or will you duel enemies at every opportunity, building up your Army and continually kicking the other players to the Exit spaces on the board? The idea of having to ‘capture’ certain spaces by occupying them for consecutive turns is an interesting one, and adds a unique twist to this game. You must be able to defend yourself in those spaces, or risk being kicked back to an Exit, requiring you to start that journey over again. It is a simple game to play, but not necessarily one that is easy to win, and I really like that.
Components. As I stated earlier, this is only a prototype version of the game, and I anticipate that there will be some changes for final production. That being said, the board in this prototype is nice and sturdy, the cards are easy to manipulate, and the Meeples are your standard wooden bits. So overall, these prototype components are off to a great start. The artwork and overall style of the game are a different story. The current artwork is pretty childish and unrefined. Again, this being only a prototype, I anticipate that the artwork will be overhauled and revised for final production. The artwork on the board is pretty basic as well, which is not necessarily a bad thing, it just doesn’t feel immersive or engaging for players. The spaces of the board are different colors to denote different areas of play, but nothing is labeled on the board, which can create some confusion at first as to the flow of movement around the board. The rules themselves need to be revised and edited for clarity. There is just a bit of ambiguity that leaves questions unanswered, but nothing that cannot be fixed.
All in all, the concept of King of the Castle is a solid one. It combines hand management, grid movement, and take that in a way that all 3 mechanics complement and work well with each other. The gameplay is lighthearted and relatively simple, which results in a fun and fast game. With some refining of the style and editing of the rules, I am sure that this game will truly shine. I look forward to following its progress, and am eager to see the Kickstarter campaign later this year. Keep your eyes on King of the Castle, because it’s shaping up to be a solid game.
Disclaimer: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this preview. The components pictured are not final. Also, I do not plan to detail the entire rulebook in this review, but rather discuss the main rules and overall flow of the game. Keep an eye out for the Kickstarter launching later this fall! -L
King of the Castle is a game of hand management, grid movement, and take that in which players are battling to be the first to capture and hold the throne. Played over a series of turns, players will move around the board, draw cards, and battle opponents to hinder their progress. To setup, each player is given a Character card at random, selects a Meeple in their chosen color, and places it on one of the various Start spaces on the game board. Shuffle all other cards and place them in a draw deck. Select a player to be the first player, and you are ready to begin!
On your turn, you will take a combination of 2 actions. Those combos are: Move 1 space and draw 1 card, Move 2 spaces, or Draw 2 cards. It is important to note that diagonal movement is not allowed! There are 2 types of cards that can be drawn: Potion cards (special powers/abilities) and Army cards (strength points for duels). Once you have performed your 2 actions, and played any Potion cards from your hand that you want, your turn ends. The game moves on to the next player. If you land on the same space as an opponent, you must duel each other. The dueling players will select as many Army cards from their hand as they wish to play, and will lay them down simultaneously. They may then play up to 3 Potion cards from their hand to influence the strength points of either player, as stated on the Potion cards. Whomever has the most strength points wins the duel, and gets to remain on that space. The loser must discard a card, and is knocked back to the nearest Exit space (depending on their current placement on the board).
In the center of the board are 2 Tower spaces. You must ‘capture’ a Tower in order to fulfill the win conditions. To capture a Tower, you must land on that space and occupy it for one full turn. Once you have captured a Tower, you may move to capture the Throne. The centermost space of the board is the Throne. To capture the Throne, you must first have captured a Tower, and you must enter the Throne space and occupy it for 3 complete and consecutive turns. When you are capturing a Tower or the Throne, you can still be attacked by opponents – so it is important to have a strong hand of cards to ward off enemies and continue your occupation of these valuable spaces. Once a player has occupied the Throne space for 3 consecutive turns, the game ends and that player is named King!
So with all of that said, how does King of the Castle play? Overall, I would say it’s a nice and simple little game. The concept itself is easy to comprehend – draw cards, duel opponents, capture a Tower, and ultimately, the Throne. There is a decent amount of strategy required for success. Not only are you racing to the center of the board, but you also need to amass a strong hand of cards with which you can hinder your opponents. Choosing when to use your Potion cards can affect not only your strategy, but those of your enemies as well. Is your strategy to skirt around your opponents and try to sneak by unnoticed? Or will you duel enemies at every opportunity, building up your Army and continually kicking the other players to the Exit spaces on the board? The idea of having to ‘capture’ certain spaces by occupying them for consecutive turns is an interesting one, and adds a unique twist to this game. You must be able to defend yourself in those spaces, or risk being kicked back to an Exit, requiring you to start that journey over again. It is a simple game to play, but not necessarily one that is easy to win, and I really like that.
Components. As I stated earlier, this is only a prototype version of the game, and I anticipate that there will be some changes for final production. That being said, the board in this prototype is nice and sturdy, the cards are easy to manipulate, and the Meeples are your standard wooden bits. So overall, these prototype components are off to a great start. The artwork and overall style of the game are a different story. The current artwork is pretty childish and unrefined. Again, this being only a prototype, I anticipate that the artwork will be overhauled and revised for final production. The artwork on the board is pretty basic as well, which is not necessarily a bad thing, it just doesn’t feel immersive or engaging for players. The spaces of the board are different colors to denote different areas of play, but nothing is labeled on the board, which can create some confusion at first as to the flow of movement around the board. The rules themselves need to be revised and edited for clarity. There is just a bit of ambiguity that leaves questions unanswered, but nothing that cannot be fixed.
All in all, the concept of King of the Castle is a solid one. It combines hand management, grid movement, and take that in a way that all 3 mechanics complement and work well with each other. The gameplay is lighthearted and relatively simple, which results in a fun and fast game. With some refining of the style and editing of the rules, I am sure that this game will truly shine. I look forward to following its progress, and am eager to see the Kickstarter campaign later this year. Keep your eyes on King of the Castle, because it’s shaping up to be a solid game.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Wonder Woman (2017) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
“What first attracted you Dr Mann to the movie with the scantily-clad Amazonians?”
Amazonians deliver! And how. The much anticipated new Wonder Woman movie is with us, and for once the film lives up to the wall-to-wall marketing hype.
With a heavy dose of mythology, Diana is growing up as the cossetted daughter of Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen, “Gladiator”), the Queen of the Amazons, on the hidden paradise island of Themyscira. Trained up as a warrior by Hippolyta’s sister, General Antiope (Robin Wright of “House of Cards”), Diana is clearly something special. Her ego is reinforced by the knowledge that she was made of clay with life breathed into her by the God Zeus. It’s enough to turn a girl’s head!
It’s 1917 and the man-free paradise is shaken up when an American spy by the name of Steve Trevor (Chris Pine, “Star Trek: Beyond“) crash-lands in the waters off Themyscira. (And yes… you didn’t mishear me… this film genuinely features a hero with both the names “Steve” and ‘Trevor”). Prince Eric – no, sorry, wrong film – is saved and awakened on the beach by Diana as the others arrive. “Thank God!”, say the Amazonians. “At last, someone to process the 200 year backlog of washing and ironing”!
But Steve (an “above average specimen”, LOL) is not long for paradise as he needs to return to the war with the results of his spy-work: a chemistry book stolen from the gorgeously deformed Dr Maru (Elena Anaya), gas-developer for the evil General Ludendorff (Danny Huston). Seeing Ludendorff to be her God-like nemesis Ares, Diana returns with Steve to the WW1 battlefields with the intent of killing the God of War and so ending the ‘war to end all wars’.
Much ‘fish out of water’ fun is had with Diana meeting civilised London society, although perhaps this section of the film doesn’t quite live up to its full potential: having ice cream for the first time, without any sign of surprise, all she can come up with is an amusing but rather lame “You must be very proud”.
But where the film really accelerates into awesomeness is when Diana reaches ‘The Front’. She emerges from the trenches like some shimmering vision of hotness, to set male and lesbian hearts a flutter. Its the most memorable trench-exit since the finale of “Black Adder 4”, and the subsequent scenes of Diana single-handedly facing the German guns is for me one of the most compelling and enjoyable scenes in any recent DC or Marvel movie.
Holding all this together is the ex-Israeli army-trainer Gal Gadot in the title role. And man oh man, what a Gal! Statuesque, athletic but also sweet, charming and emotionally fragile she completely owns this role from beginning to end. Gadot made a memorable entry in the otherwise poor “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (#marthagate #neverforget #neverforgive) but nothing prepares you for just how great she is in this outing. In fact, I’ll go as far as saying that this film, although having a UK 12 certificate, is a film of immense danger to heterosexual teenagers of any age (#humor):
All boys will be cast into a lifetime of misery, never able to find a woman that can possibly live up to the impossibly perfect vision of Diana Prince, tearing up the German army with fists and whip!;
All girls WILL BECOME LESBIANS AFTER WATCHING THIS FILM!
Parents: you have been warned! 🙂
Chris Pine – the thinking women’s Chris Pratt – once again proves himself as a talented actor who manages to successfully morph to inhabit the role he plays. Much as he did in the excellent “Hell or High Water“, not once did I equate him to be James Tiberius Kirk after the first 5 minutes.
Effective in supporting roles are David Thewlis (“Harry Potter”) as a ‘helpful’ army bod and an almost unrecognisable Lucy Davis (“The Office”) as Etta, Steve’s comedic secretary. Steve’s rather unlikely sidekicks of Sameer (Said Taghmaoui, “American Hustle“), Charlie (Ewen Bremner, “Trainspotting”) and ‘The Chief’ (Eugene Brave Rock “The Revenant“) all rather fade into the woodwork by comparison.
I saw the film in 3D (“careful now… you could take an eye out with those things”) and very good it was too. Aside from some rather unnecessary Amazonian arrows, its never feels overdone, and elements of it were extremely effective.
Another star of the show is the superb Wonder Woman theme by Hans Zimmer, here rolled out by the film’s composer Rupert Gregson-Williams (“Hacksaw Ridge“). Unfortunately, the rest of the soundtrack is not particularly memorable.
The film shifts into more traditional yawn-worthy ‘superhero finale’ mode in the last twenty minutes, which is a bit of a shame. It’s also really curious that for such a sexually charged film there is an almost complete absence of ‘lurrve’ on show. The one love scene coquettishly fades to a view of the outside window. Was this to protect the film’s family friendly rating (probably) or that the director didn’t want to show her heroine in a remotely submissive position (possibly)? More frustratingly, the morning after there is no mention of it at all! (“Move along, nothing to see here”). I at least wanted some sort of recognition that a human/God liaison had taken place: Steve grimacing a bit when he sits down; or Diana on the blower to Themyscira saying “Yes, you were right Mum. 5 minutes in, and it just snapped clean off!”
I know my friend David Moody (of markanddave vblog fame, and a big DC/Marvel fan) was generally disappointed with the film. Conversely, Amy Andrews from the ever-excellent Oh That Film Blog loved it. I’m with Amy on this one, and greatly enjoyed it as a well-constructed action rollercoaster. The nearly two and a half hours sped by. By the way (and I took one for the team here) there is no “monkey” at the end of the film’s credit to hang on for.
Patty Jenkins (“Monster”) directs and knows the audience she is aiming to please. One can only imagine the empowering impact this film will have on young girls, crossing their wrists to ‘THAT’ music and, in their imagination, casting terrorists into the hell that they should be consigned to. In this week of yet more Isis atrocity in London, Wonder Woman is a role-model we could all stand and salute: “I believe in love” too.
With a heavy dose of mythology, Diana is growing up as the cossetted daughter of Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen, “Gladiator”), the Queen of the Amazons, on the hidden paradise island of Themyscira. Trained up as a warrior by Hippolyta’s sister, General Antiope (Robin Wright of “House of Cards”), Diana is clearly something special. Her ego is reinforced by the knowledge that she was made of clay with life breathed into her by the God Zeus. It’s enough to turn a girl’s head!
It’s 1917 and the man-free paradise is shaken up when an American spy by the name of Steve Trevor (Chris Pine, “Star Trek: Beyond“) crash-lands in the waters off Themyscira. (And yes… you didn’t mishear me… this film genuinely features a hero with both the names “Steve” and ‘Trevor”). Prince Eric – no, sorry, wrong film – is saved and awakened on the beach by Diana as the others arrive. “Thank God!”, say the Amazonians. “At last, someone to process the 200 year backlog of washing and ironing”!
But Steve (an “above average specimen”, LOL) is not long for paradise as he needs to return to the war with the results of his spy-work: a chemistry book stolen from the gorgeously deformed Dr Maru (Elena Anaya), gas-developer for the evil General Ludendorff (Danny Huston). Seeing Ludendorff to be her God-like nemesis Ares, Diana returns with Steve to the WW1 battlefields with the intent of killing the God of War and so ending the ‘war to end all wars’.
Much ‘fish out of water’ fun is had with Diana meeting civilised London society, although perhaps this section of the film doesn’t quite live up to its full potential: having ice cream for the first time, without any sign of surprise, all she can come up with is an amusing but rather lame “You must be very proud”.
But where the film really accelerates into awesomeness is when Diana reaches ‘The Front’. She emerges from the trenches like some shimmering vision of hotness, to set male and lesbian hearts a flutter. Its the most memorable trench-exit since the finale of “Black Adder 4”, and the subsequent scenes of Diana single-handedly facing the German guns is for me one of the most compelling and enjoyable scenes in any recent DC or Marvel movie.
Holding all this together is the ex-Israeli army-trainer Gal Gadot in the title role. And man oh man, what a Gal! Statuesque, athletic but also sweet, charming and emotionally fragile she completely owns this role from beginning to end. Gadot made a memorable entry in the otherwise poor “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (#marthagate #neverforget #neverforgive) but nothing prepares you for just how great she is in this outing. In fact, I’ll go as far as saying that this film, although having a UK 12 certificate, is a film of immense danger to heterosexual teenagers of any age (#humor):
All boys will be cast into a lifetime of misery, never able to find a woman that can possibly live up to the impossibly perfect vision of Diana Prince, tearing up the German army with fists and whip!;
All girls WILL BECOME LESBIANS AFTER WATCHING THIS FILM!
Parents: you have been warned! 🙂
Chris Pine – the thinking women’s Chris Pratt – once again proves himself as a talented actor who manages to successfully morph to inhabit the role he plays. Much as he did in the excellent “Hell or High Water“, not once did I equate him to be James Tiberius Kirk after the first 5 minutes.
Effective in supporting roles are David Thewlis (“Harry Potter”) as a ‘helpful’ army bod and an almost unrecognisable Lucy Davis (“The Office”) as Etta, Steve’s comedic secretary. Steve’s rather unlikely sidekicks of Sameer (Said Taghmaoui, “American Hustle“), Charlie (Ewen Bremner, “Trainspotting”) and ‘The Chief’ (Eugene Brave Rock “The Revenant“) all rather fade into the woodwork by comparison.
I saw the film in 3D (“careful now… you could take an eye out with those things”) and very good it was too. Aside from some rather unnecessary Amazonian arrows, its never feels overdone, and elements of it were extremely effective.
Another star of the show is the superb Wonder Woman theme by Hans Zimmer, here rolled out by the film’s composer Rupert Gregson-Williams (“Hacksaw Ridge“). Unfortunately, the rest of the soundtrack is not particularly memorable.
The film shifts into more traditional yawn-worthy ‘superhero finale’ mode in the last twenty minutes, which is a bit of a shame. It’s also really curious that for such a sexually charged film there is an almost complete absence of ‘lurrve’ on show. The one love scene coquettishly fades to a view of the outside window. Was this to protect the film’s family friendly rating (probably) or that the director didn’t want to show her heroine in a remotely submissive position (possibly)? More frustratingly, the morning after there is no mention of it at all! (“Move along, nothing to see here”). I at least wanted some sort of recognition that a human/God liaison had taken place: Steve grimacing a bit when he sits down; or Diana on the blower to Themyscira saying “Yes, you were right Mum. 5 minutes in, and it just snapped clean off!”
I know my friend David Moody (of markanddave vblog fame, and a big DC/Marvel fan) was generally disappointed with the film. Conversely, Amy Andrews from the ever-excellent Oh That Film Blog loved it. I’m with Amy on this one, and greatly enjoyed it as a well-constructed action rollercoaster. The nearly two and a half hours sped by. By the way (and I took one for the team here) there is no “monkey” at the end of the film’s credit to hang on for.
Patty Jenkins (“Monster”) directs and knows the audience she is aiming to please. One can only imagine the empowering impact this film will have on young girls, crossing their wrists to ‘THAT’ music and, in their imagination, casting terrorists into the hell that they should be consigned to. In this week of yet more Isis atrocity in London, Wonder Woman is a role-model we could all stand and salute: “I believe in love” too.
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.
Lindsay (1760 KP) rated The Christmas Gate 2 in Books
Aug 30, 2018
The Christmas Gate 2 opens up with Bob wanting to talk to his publisher. Once he does he makes deal that get him the lovely farmhouse where he could write his stories. Well things get a little more interesting once he moves in to his new farmhouse.
Once things get close to Christmas and plans are made for him and Patty. Patty get a knock at the door. Once does she find out her husband is alive and in the army hospital. What will happen with Patty and Bob?
Bob meets an woman and tell her his story. She get him advice and once she is gone for a bit he does do something inside the book she has. She doe not know until she opens it. He never mentions it either.
Bob make a decision to help Patty out by making it easy for her. Patty does not know this when he leaves after seeing her and getting the message from her friend Lucy. It seem that Patty has to do her own journey as to go on.
She finds a poem or letter addressed to her after Jim and everyone thinks Bob has pass away. Jim does his deal that the farmhouse is to go to Patty if something happened to Bob.
She reads something that Bob wrote at the end of the journal. “The Christmas Gate is not Fiction” and this get her attention and she goes to find the box and she does and she opens it. She think will get 7 visions and what will happen. The journey begins. You will not believe it but her candles and messages are different for her but her journey is bit different then Bobs. Will she find Bob? Will she be able to bring him home?
I really like the theme and plot of the candles. It really well written. The messages were different for each person on their own journey. You will not know until the end who the light form might be. It a fast read and enjoyable as well.
Once things get close to Christmas and plans are made for him and Patty. Patty get a knock at the door. Once does she find out her husband is alive and in the army hospital. What will happen with Patty and Bob?
Bob meets an woman and tell her his story. She get him advice and once she is gone for a bit he does do something inside the book she has. She doe not know until she opens it. He never mentions it either.
Bob make a decision to help Patty out by making it easy for her. Patty does not know this when he leaves after seeing her and getting the message from her friend Lucy. It seem that Patty has to do her own journey as to go on.
She finds a poem or letter addressed to her after Jim and everyone thinks Bob has pass away. Jim does his deal that the farmhouse is to go to Patty if something happened to Bob.
She reads something that Bob wrote at the end of the journal. “The Christmas Gate is not Fiction” and this get her attention and she goes to find the box and she does and she opens it. She think will get 7 visions and what will happen. The journey begins. You will not believe it but her candles and messages are different for her but her journey is bit different then Bobs. Will she find Bob? Will she be able to bring him home?
I really like the theme and plot of the candles. It really well written. The messages were different for each person on their own journey. You will not know until the end who the light form might be. It a fast read and enjoyable as well.
BookblogbyCari (345 KP) rated A Whole New World in Books
Sep 23, 2018
Book Review by Cari Mayhew. Rating 7/10.
This book is a much darker retelling of Disney’s Aladdin, and is the first in a series of darker Disney retellings! It starts off pretty much the same as the film – Princess Jasmine meets petty thief “Street Rat” Aladdin while sneaking out of the Palace, and later the conniving Jafar tricks Aladdin into obtaining the lamp - but things go a whole lot worse once Jafar gets hold of it!
Jafar wishes himself to be made the Sultan, and the most powerful sorcerer of the world. But that’s not enough – Jafar seeks to break the genie’s rules of magic, in order to bring the dead back to life to raise an army of the undead! Jafar kills the former Sultan and declares he wants to wed Princess Jasmine, who, meanwhile, meets up with the Street Rats to lead a full-on rebellion. They attempt to intercept the delivery of magic book sought by Jafar, but things don’t go according to plan!
Braswell imitates the original Disney tale for the first third of the book and really fleshes it out with scene description and attention to Aladdin’s and Jasmine’s thoughts. Some of these scenes are different, yet the first half remains very true to the original. After this point the action really heats up!
The genie took a less prominent role in the latter part of the book than he did in the film. The inclusion of more minor characters added a depth to the novel that was missing in the film, and allowed the underlying themes to develop. There was a strong theme on the grey area between right and wrong, and how doing a minor wrong can help the greater good.
Fortunately (IMO) the book didn’t include the lyrics to the musical numbers! Unfortunately, however, the book is only available in paperback. Some of the story was predictable, including how it ended, but there was the odd surprise in there - all in all, I feel this book has got the Twisted Tales series off to a great start!
You can follow all my book news and reviews on bookblogbycari.com
This book is a much darker retelling of Disney’s Aladdin, and is the first in a series of darker Disney retellings! It starts off pretty much the same as the film – Princess Jasmine meets petty thief “Street Rat” Aladdin while sneaking out of the Palace, and later the conniving Jafar tricks Aladdin into obtaining the lamp - but things go a whole lot worse once Jafar gets hold of it!
Jafar wishes himself to be made the Sultan, and the most powerful sorcerer of the world. But that’s not enough – Jafar seeks to break the genie’s rules of magic, in order to bring the dead back to life to raise an army of the undead! Jafar kills the former Sultan and declares he wants to wed Princess Jasmine, who, meanwhile, meets up with the Street Rats to lead a full-on rebellion. They attempt to intercept the delivery of magic book sought by Jafar, but things don’t go according to plan!
Braswell imitates the original Disney tale for the first third of the book and really fleshes it out with scene description and attention to Aladdin’s and Jasmine’s thoughts. Some of these scenes are different, yet the first half remains very true to the original. After this point the action really heats up!
The genie took a less prominent role in the latter part of the book than he did in the film. The inclusion of more minor characters added a depth to the novel that was missing in the film, and allowed the underlying themes to develop. There was a strong theme on the grey area between right and wrong, and how doing a minor wrong can help the greater good.
Fortunately (IMO) the book didn’t include the lyrics to the musical numbers! Unfortunately, however, the book is only available in paperback. Some of the story was predictable, including how it ended, but there was the odd surprise in there - all in all, I feel this book has got the Twisted Tales series off to a great start!
You can follow all my book news and reviews on bookblogbycari.com
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Aquaman (2018) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
In a tale as vast and epic as the Oceans that frames the story: “Aquaman” has arrived in a flurry of action and adventure.
The film tells the origin of Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), who is half mortal and half Atlantean, thanks to his human father rescuing his mother, an Atlantean royal, and falling in love.
The love between his parents is forbidden under the customs of the people of Atlantis and in time his mother is forced to return to Atlantis, leaving Arthur to be raised by his human father.
When his power-hungry half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson), plots to wage war on the surface world, Princess Mera (Amber Heard), attempts to convince Arthur to make his first trip to Atlantis to challenge Orm for the throne and become king. Naturally a lifetime of resentment toward the people who divided his parents has made Arthur unwilling to help, especially when the key to victory requires locating and retrieving an artfact that will bring peace to
his people and those of the surface world.
With an army of Atlantean soldiers pursuing him as well as the evil Black Manta set on revenge, Arthur faces an uphill battle as he races against time and his own conflicted emotions to save the day.
Director James Wan has done an amazing job of giving audiences a lavish and action-filled experience that never loses the characters as the main
focus of the story. He cleverly blends the lore of Aquaman with a modern
twist yet stays true to the character. Jason Momoa has an intriguing presence, giving the character more depth than expected. The supporting cast is solid and the film rarely loses pacing or fails to keep you fascinated throughout.
Warner has had some issues with recent adaptations of DC characters but, like Wonder Woman, “Aquaman” delivers on action and storytelling. The film also contains a strong message about ecology without being preachy. This is one of the more entertaining films of the year and should make fans of the character happy. I look forward to seeing what adventure comes next for Aquaman.
http://sknr.net/2018/12/18/aquaman/
The film tells the origin of Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), who is half mortal and half Atlantean, thanks to his human father rescuing his mother, an Atlantean royal, and falling in love.
The love between his parents is forbidden under the customs of the people of Atlantis and in time his mother is forced to return to Atlantis, leaving Arthur to be raised by his human father.
When his power-hungry half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson), plots to wage war on the surface world, Princess Mera (Amber Heard), attempts to convince Arthur to make his first trip to Atlantis to challenge Orm for the throne and become king. Naturally a lifetime of resentment toward the people who divided his parents has made Arthur unwilling to help, especially when the key to victory requires locating and retrieving an artfact that will bring peace to
his people and those of the surface world.
With an army of Atlantean soldiers pursuing him as well as the evil Black Manta set on revenge, Arthur faces an uphill battle as he races against time and his own conflicted emotions to save the day.
Director James Wan has done an amazing job of giving audiences a lavish and action-filled experience that never loses the characters as the main
focus of the story. He cleverly blends the lore of Aquaman with a modern
twist yet stays true to the character. Jason Momoa has an intriguing presence, giving the character more depth than expected. The supporting cast is solid and the film rarely loses pacing or fails to keep you fascinated throughout.
Warner has had some issues with recent adaptations of DC characters but, like Wonder Woman, “Aquaman” delivers on action and storytelling. The film also contains a strong message about ecology without being preachy. This is one of the more entertaining films of the year and should make fans of the character happy. I look forward to seeing what adventure comes next for Aquaman.
http://sknr.net/2018/12/18/aquaman/
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Maggie Bright: A Novel of Dunkirk in Books
Jan 2, 2019
The entire history of the world is about to change as Hitler marches his troops across Europe. Can the actions of one person make a difference?
Clare Childs has mysteriously inherited the Maggie Bright. Her suspicions that Maggie holds a secret are proven when a thief comes aboard. Clare is suddenly thrown into the middle of a Scotland Yard investigation that could finally expose one of Hitler's darkest schemes. While on the other side of the channel, Private Jamie Elliot has been tasked with the mission of returning a wounded captain home. The captain has suffered a head injury and the only words he speaks are quotes from John Milton's Paradise Lost. When Churchill calls for civilians to help rescue the stranded British Army from Dunkirk, Clare knows that Maggie must go. Piloted by William Percy, a detective inspector and Murray Vance, a world renowned cartoonist, the Maggie Bright goes to war.
“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” - C.S. Lewis
Never have these words rung more true for me than when I finished reading Maggie Bright. I wish the story would go on and on. I absolutely love reading about World War II. There is so much evil during this period, but there is also hope and light. Nations coming together with a singular purpose. Fighting and dying side by side. I am ashamed to admit that most of my knowledge of WWII begins with D-Day and America's involvement. My eyes have been opened wide with England's trials at the beginning of the war. I cried four times while reading this book! The horror is real, the fight unbearable, yet the men and women who sacrificed everything did so for us today. So that we might have hope and know that no matter how dark things become, we shall press on to victory.
"God towards thee hath done his part, do thine" - John Milton, Paradise Lost
I received a free copy of Maggie Bright from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.
Clare Childs has mysteriously inherited the Maggie Bright. Her suspicions that Maggie holds a secret are proven when a thief comes aboard. Clare is suddenly thrown into the middle of a Scotland Yard investigation that could finally expose one of Hitler's darkest schemes. While on the other side of the channel, Private Jamie Elliot has been tasked with the mission of returning a wounded captain home. The captain has suffered a head injury and the only words he speaks are quotes from John Milton's Paradise Lost. When Churchill calls for civilians to help rescue the stranded British Army from Dunkirk, Clare knows that Maggie must go. Piloted by William Percy, a detective inspector and Murray Vance, a world renowned cartoonist, the Maggie Bright goes to war.
“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” - C.S. Lewis
Never have these words rung more true for me than when I finished reading Maggie Bright. I wish the story would go on and on. I absolutely love reading about World War II. There is so much evil during this period, but there is also hope and light. Nations coming together with a singular purpose. Fighting and dying side by side. I am ashamed to admit that most of my knowledge of WWII begins with D-Day and America's involvement. My eyes have been opened wide with England's trials at the beginning of the war. I cried four times while reading this book! The horror is real, the fight unbearable, yet the men and women who sacrificed everything did so for us today. So that we might have hope and know that no matter how dark things become, we shall press on to victory.
"God towards thee hath done his part, do thine" - John Milton, Paradise Lost
I received a free copy of Maggie Bright from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Etta and Otto and Russell and James in Books
Dec 14, 2018
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.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Storm (The Rain, #2) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
My rating: 3.5
This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
What would happen if water became fatally harmful to humans? This is what Virginia Bergin continues to explore in the second novel in the young adult, dystopian series, The Storm. Fifteen year old Ruby Morris has been trying to survive by herself only getting through each day by telling herself "everything is going to be OK." With the belief that her Dad is still alive, she sets off to find him whilst trying to dodge violent people, the British army, and, of course, the rain.
As the story develops it is revealed that Ruby may be a key character in ending the global apocalypse, however she does not trust the scientists involved in finding a solution.
Since the first book it appears that Ruby has matured a lot. She is able to take more responsibility and even help other people. Like in the first book, The Rain, Ruby is narrating her experiences to the reader as well as her deceased mother. As her mother disapproved of swearing Ruby blocks out certain words with a symbol. In some ways this makes the story suitable for early teen readers, however it is fairly easy to work out what the missing words are and therefore may not be appropriate for some readers.
The Storm was much more exciting to read than the previous novel. Ruby was less annoying and was much more mature. It is interesting to discover how the situation develops. There is a lot of action to keep the reader on their toes.
One issue with this book is how the ending is written. It almost feels like Bergin tried to end the story quickly. The whole story was carefully planned out and narrated however the end was rushed.
Overall, The Storm is a great continuation of an interesting concept. It is much better than the first part of the story and keeps the reader interested. Although intended for young adults, there is nothing to stop adult readers from enjoying it too.
This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
What would happen if water became fatally harmful to humans? This is what Virginia Bergin continues to explore in the second novel in the young adult, dystopian series, The Storm. Fifteen year old Ruby Morris has been trying to survive by herself only getting through each day by telling herself "everything is going to be OK." With the belief that her Dad is still alive, she sets off to find him whilst trying to dodge violent people, the British army, and, of course, the rain.
As the story develops it is revealed that Ruby may be a key character in ending the global apocalypse, however she does not trust the scientists involved in finding a solution.
Since the first book it appears that Ruby has matured a lot. She is able to take more responsibility and even help other people. Like in the first book, The Rain, Ruby is narrating her experiences to the reader as well as her deceased mother. As her mother disapproved of swearing Ruby blocks out certain words with a symbol. In some ways this makes the story suitable for early teen readers, however it is fairly easy to work out what the missing words are and therefore may not be appropriate for some readers.
The Storm was much more exciting to read than the previous novel. Ruby was less annoying and was much more mature. It is interesting to discover how the situation develops. There is a lot of action to keep the reader on their toes.
One issue with this book is how the ending is written. It almost feels like Bergin tried to end the story quickly. The whole story was carefully planned out and narrated however the end was rushed.
Overall, The Storm is a great continuation of an interesting concept. It is much better than the first part of the story and keeps the reader interested. Although intended for young adults, there is nothing to stop adult readers from enjoying it too.