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ClareR (5885 KP) rated Skyward in Books

Dec 20, 2018

Skyward

Brandon Sanderson | 2018 | Science Fiction/Fantasy

8.6

(5 Ratings)

Book Rating

YA Sci-Fi with dog-fighting spaceships!!

A young girl, Spensa (call sign: Spin), wants to escape her life and follow in her father’s footsteps into the Defiance Defense Force. Except her father died in terrible circumstances - he was killed by his own people in a battle against their enemies, the Krell. He has been labelled a coward, the stigma of which has stuck with the whole family. Spensa doesn’t believe it, and wants to restore his reputation. Those in charge of admission to the flight school believe she carries the same ‘defect’ as her father, and set out to make it extremely difficult for her to attend. She isn’t allowed to stay at the school to sleep or eat, and so she finds a cave nearby, where she sleeps, eats and discovers an old spaceship. She goes about repairing the ship, and finds that it has an AI called M-Bot. Something which those on Detritus have no access to.
The beginning of the book was a bit ‘teenage-angsty’, but it did develop into a really good book, with dog fights galore (think Top Gun with space ships!). And M-Bot really made it for me. After THAT ending, I’m definitely looking forward to the next book!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!

Kudos

David McK (3562 KP) rated Wonder Woman (2017) in Movies

Jul 27, 2019 (Updated Jun 22, 2021)

Wonder Woman (2017)

2017 | Action, Fantasy, War

8.2

(517 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

The No Mans land scene (0 more)

Like, I'm sure, many others, if you'd mentioned the words 'Wonder Woman' to me prior to 2016 Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice I probably would have thought of the 1970s(?) Linda Carter starring TV series.

That was a role that Gal Gadot took in in the 2016 movie, portraying a different take on the character: one who has largely remained in the background throughout history, only revealing herself (and her powers) towards the end of that movie.

This film takes place at an earlier period in her life (albeit 'bookended' by a modern day setting, with Diana receiving a vintage photo of her in costume): during the First World War, to be precise, when Diana first leaves the Amazonian island paradise of Thermiscyra and enters the world, discovering her powers and heritage in the process.

While there may be an element of truth in the criticism that the plot of this movie is - largely - a role-reversed Captain America (World War setting? Sacrificial ending?) and that it probably could have done without the CGI battle at the end (which, IMO, lessened the impact the movie would have had without it) this is still a very enjoyable movie indeed!

As an aside: the stand-out scene where Diana crosses No-Mans land on her own? That was nearly cut from the movie.

Kudos

Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, #2) in Books

Nov 27, 2019

The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, #2)

J.R.R. Tolkien | 1954 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy

8.5

(39 Ratings)

Book Rating

The second part of the original epic fantasy starts where the first part ends. The Fellowship of the Ring is broken and scattered but thanks to Frodo and Sam the Ring is still heading towards Mordor. Meanwhile Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas persue the band of orcs that have captured Merry and Pippin.

This book carries on with the darker tone that The Fellowship Of The Ring developed as it went on though with Tolkien's grasp of narrative, story and saga it is always an engrossing read. More if Middle Earth is explored, from the horror of the Dead Marshes to the rolling plains of Rohan. Tolkien also keeps the twists coming, from alliances forged by desperation to unexpected allies.

This also features the first full scale battle of the saga - Helm's Deep. A desperate defence that in so many ways is the template for all the battles that have come after in fantasy books, a breathless and intense part of the story that really evokes the sense of grim determination in the combatants.

As with the whole of the trilogy, for something that is very much the genesis of a whole style of story telling there is so much that is complete, and still with that sense of massive depth of history that many of its imitators lack.