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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Shadow Fall (Shadow Fall, #1) in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Rating 1.5 stars
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
For almost a decade, dystopian literature has become mainstream amongst the young adult community, and it appears set to stay as another debut author joins the bandwagon. <i>Shadow Fall</i> by Audrey Grey encompasses ideas from popular series, such as<i> The Hunger Games</i> and <i>The Maze Runner</i>, to create an original apocalyptic story. In barely more than a fortnight the Earth is doomed to be destroyed by a passing asteroid, only a handful of humans can survive. The question is who?
Maia Graystone, a fugitive, has been given the opportunity to win a place on Hyperion space station – a castle in the stars – and safety from the asteroid, Pandora. However in a game of life and death it is not going to be easy to get through the trials. Posing, quite literally, as the Lady Everly March, Maia hopes not to be recognized by the tyrannous Emperor, nor by the mother who abandoned her. Yet Maia’s supporters have an ulterior motive – kill the Emperor.
To be brutally honest, <i>Shadow Fall</i> was a rather tedious book to read. Granted there was a lot of action – mostly unnecessary, bloodthirsty murder – however the confusing storyline, rude characters and the inability to evoke a visual idea of the setting, resulted in a painstakingly uninspiring story.
With so many dystopian novels to compete against, it is going to be hard for a new writer to stand out from the crowd. Audrey Grey used a lot of Greek mythological references as the basis of her ideas, something that appealed to me, but may be lost on other readers.
On the other hand,<i> Shadow Fall </i>contains a couple of scenes that will conjure emotion up in the majority of readers, and mildly excite and engage. Yet, for me, this was not enough to save it from a negative review. I really wanted to like this book but I struggled to get into the story and appreciate the author’s hard work.
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
For almost a decade, dystopian literature has become mainstream amongst the young adult community, and it appears set to stay as another debut author joins the bandwagon. <i>Shadow Fall</i> by Audrey Grey encompasses ideas from popular series, such as<i> The Hunger Games</i> and <i>The Maze Runner</i>, to create an original apocalyptic story. In barely more than a fortnight the Earth is doomed to be destroyed by a passing asteroid, only a handful of humans can survive. The question is who?
Maia Graystone, a fugitive, has been given the opportunity to win a place on Hyperion space station – a castle in the stars – and safety from the asteroid, Pandora. However in a game of life and death it is not going to be easy to get through the trials. Posing, quite literally, as the Lady Everly March, Maia hopes not to be recognized by the tyrannous Emperor, nor by the mother who abandoned her. Yet Maia’s supporters have an ulterior motive – kill the Emperor.
To be brutally honest, <i>Shadow Fall</i> was a rather tedious book to read. Granted there was a lot of action – mostly unnecessary, bloodthirsty murder – however the confusing storyline, rude characters and the inability to evoke a visual idea of the setting, resulted in a painstakingly uninspiring story.
With so many dystopian novels to compete against, it is going to be hard for a new writer to stand out from the crowd. Audrey Grey used a lot of Greek mythological references as the basis of her ideas, something that appealed to me, but may be lost on other readers.
On the other hand,<i> Shadow Fall </i>contains a couple of scenes that will conjure emotion up in the majority of readers, and mildly excite and engage. Yet, for me, this was not enough to save it from a negative review. I really wanted to like this book but I struggled to get into the story and appreciate the author’s hard work.
Lindsay (1717 KP) rated The Castle Tower Lighthouse (Edgar Font's Hunt for a House to Haunt, #1) in Books
Aug 30, 2018
The way I found this book was I had return a book and was looking some books to read. I was that bored. I was scanning my library Children section. I found this in the the there. I picked it up and read the back of the cover. I was interest the by reading the back of the cover that wanted to start reading it as soon as i got home. I did just that by checking it out. Now my thought on this books...
The story starts out by having Audrey and Garret complaint they are bored and they are living with their uncle and aunt. They thinks there Grandpa Edgar is old and boring to be with him all summer. Audrey and Garret do not know what is in story for them when they arrive at Retirement home Edgar Font is staying at.
Edgar Font take this two grandchildren for an adventures though out the book. Their first adventure is at a Castle. Edgar Font see is grandchildren as unadventurous. His answer is to this is to drive them in adventure and make them go though this summer plans.
Edgar Font introduce them to all kinds of ghosts, and outlines their journey, while Edgar is not dead yet. He wants to find a place to live out eternity. Though Audrey and Garret are skeptical in the beginning, They come around be the end of the book----all in the span of a day.
It's a fascinating read, much more fluid than "wandering around the house and picking up clues" might suggest. The character are fleshed out for all age ranges, we learn a little bit more about each character in future installments, as they learn more about themselves. We do not get told where the next adventure is, but there's a photograph marked, "Exploring the site for Adventure Two" in the back, and an arrow showing that it's "just over yonder".
This book can have you guessing along with Audrey and Garret and Edgar Font to solve the Mystery as well. Great for young readers ages 9 and up. I strongly recommend it.
The story starts out by having Audrey and Garret complaint they are bored and they are living with their uncle and aunt. They thinks there Grandpa Edgar is old and boring to be with him all summer. Audrey and Garret do not know what is in story for them when they arrive at Retirement home Edgar Font is staying at.
Edgar Font take this two grandchildren for an adventures though out the book. Their first adventure is at a Castle. Edgar Font see is grandchildren as unadventurous. His answer is to this is to drive them in adventure and make them go though this summer plans.
Edgar Font introduce them to all kinds of ghosts, and outlines their journey, while Edgar is not dead yet. He wants to find a place to live out eternity. Though Audrey and Garret are skeptical in the beginning, They come around be the end of the book----all in the span of a day.
It's a fascinating read, much more fluid than "wandering around the house and picking up clues" might suggest. The character are fleshed out for all age ranges, we learn a little bit more about each character in future installments, as they learn more about themselves. We do not get told where the next adventure is, but there's a photograph marked, "Exploring the site for Adventure Two" in the back, and an arrow showing that it's "just over yonder".
This book can have you guessing along with Audrey and Garret and Edgar Font to solve the Mystery as well. Great for young readers ages 9 and up. I strongly recommend it.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Castle Rock in TV
Oct 23, 2018 (Updated Oct 23, 2018)
Good cast (2 more)
Some cool ideas
Stephen King references
Ups and Downs
Castle Rock is an interesting show, it wasn't what I thought it would be at all. I went in expected a creepy, atmospheric thriller and instead I got a slow burning character study. Don't get me wrong, it is a very well told character study, with plenty of interesting characters and plot threads.
The cast is made up of a few actors that have been used in Stephen King adaptions in the past, as well as a few newcomers to the King adaption universe. Everybody is great in their role, with Sissy Spacek and Bill Skarsgard being the standouts.
The liberties that the show takes with it's inspiration is weirdly inconstant, with some episode whoring out King references left and right and some ignoring the writer's influence altogether. I get the feeling that this was due to the creators wanting to please King fans in the audience while still trying to craft a show that can stand on it's own independently, which is fine, but I kinda wish that they had committed one way or the other.
The show starts off strong, then drags a bit in the middle, but if you can get to episodes 8 & 9, they are possible contenders for some of the best episodes of TV broadcast in 2018. Unfortunately the last episode is very underwhelming after this awesome build up of intrigue that precedes it.
The ending was the biggest negative that the show had. Without giving too much away, it leaves the audience feeling like everything they just witnessed was pretty pointless and leaves you feeling unfulfilled and fairly disappointed. It is clearly trying to set things up for a second season, but does so to the point that it forgets to end the first season in any significant way.
Overall, if you are a King fan you will get a kick out of this. Alternatively, if you are in the mood for a well told, slow burning character study full of intrigue, with elements of psychological horror, then this show is perfect for you. Just don't go in expecting an intense, chilling atmosphere to be present throughout.
The cast is made up of a few actors that have been used in Stephen King adaptions in the past, as well as a few newcomers to the King adaption universe. Everybody is great in their role, with Sissy Spacek and Bill Skarsgard being the standouts.
The liberties that the show takes with it's inspiration is weirdly inconstant, with some episode whoring out King references left and right and some ignoring the writer's influence altogether. I get the feeling that this was due to the creators wanting to please King fans in the audience while still trying to craft a show that can stand on it's own independently, which is fine, but I kinda wish that they had committed one way or the other.
The show starts off strong, then drags a bit in the middle, but if you can get to episodes 8 & 9, they are possible contenders for some of the best episodes of TV broadcast in 2018. Unfortunately the last episode is very underwhelming after this awesome build up of intrigue that precedes it.
The ending was the biggest negative that the show had. Without giving too much away, it leaves the audience feeling like everything they just witnessed was pretty pointless and leaves you feeling unfulfilled and fairly disappointed. It is clearly trying to set things up for a second season, but does so to the point that it forgets to end the first season in any significant way.
Overall, if you are a King fan you will get a kick out of this. Alternatively, if you are in the mood for a well told, slow burning character study full of intrigue, with elements of psychological horror, then this show is perfect for you. Just don't go in expecting an intense, chilling atmosphere to be present throughout.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Nightmare Keep (Euphoria Online Book 2) in Books
Dec 4, 2018
Outstanding follow-up LitRPG fantasy tale
The follow-up to Death March continues straight on, with Chris being marched off to the eerie evil presence lurking in the nearby ruined village. From there on, Chris has a mission to accomplish and things are looking good for him, albeit with some hard work to come. Just as things start to look up, he is booted out of Castle Winter by a group of stronger players and has to find another way to complete his mission.
The action is thick, fast and wonderfully narrated throughout the book. While the constant mention of which Skill, Spell or weapon is being used gets a little bit annoying, it adds to the gaming feel and allows you to see the characters' actions and how they chose them.
The story is excellent, barring some slightly confused metaphysical stuff right at the end, where the world becomes all hand-wavey and dreamy and you kind of lose the immersion a little. But the character development (literally, by completing tasks and winning fights, Chris gains XP and levels up) and interaction is top notch, totally nailing the language that would be used by gamers trying to be their character but also retaining their own personalities.
There are a couple of moments in the book where it seems Chris has just plain run out of luck, but something always arrives just at the right time for him to get out of his predicament. One revelation in particular was a little jarring where he managed to de-crypt a message and work out (or guess) what he had to do, which could have worked but was delivered a little clumsily in my opinion. In hindsight the smaller incidents are minor and did not detract from my enjoyment of this book.
Once again, the book is just cruelly short and leaves you wanting more. Luckily, there is one more book in the series so I won't be away from Euphoria Online for long.
Read as part of free trial on Kindle Unlimited (so for free!).
The action is thick, fast and wonderfully narrated throughout the book. While the constant mention of which Skill, Spell or weapon is being used gets a little bit annoying, it adds to the gaming feel and allows you to see the characters' actions and how they chose them.
The story is excellent, barring some slightly confused metaphysical stuff right at the end, where the world becomes all hand-wavey and dreamy and you kind of lose the immersion a little. But the character development (literally, by completing tasks and winning fights, Chris gains XP and levels up) and interaction is top notch, totally nailing the language that would be used by gamers trying to be their character but also retaining their own personalities.
There are a couple of moments in the book where it seems Chris has just plain run out of luck, but something always arrives just at the right time for him to get out of his predicament. One revelation in particular was a little jarring where he managed to de-crypt a message and work out (or guess) what he had to do, which could have worked but was delivered a little clumsily in my opinion. In hindsight the smaller incidents are minor and did not detract from my enjoyment of this book.
Once again, the book is just cruelly short and leaves you wanting more. Luckily, there is one more book in the series so I won't be away from Euphoria Online for long.
Read as part of free trial on Kindle Unlimited (so for free!).
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Mortal Engines (The Hungry City Chronicles, #1) in Books
Dec 25, 2018
Through this entire book, I kept thinking "this feels like Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets." It's a completely different setting, and a different plot, but it had the same atmosphere. Rollicking action, fantastical premise, crazy setting, huge machines with entire worlds within them. I loved Valerian - it may not have been a critically great movie, and I don't think the leads had much chemistry, but the movie was just FUN. And that's how Mortal Engines is, too.
It's a crazy world, where cities have become mobile - think Howl's Moving Castle - and they chase each other across a barren world, devouring each other for resources in a social order they call Municipal Darwinism. Some cities, like London, are huge, with six main levels, not really counting the Gut, or the center of the machinery. Other towns are small, one or two levels crawling along trying to avoid the notice of the larger, faster cities. The peoples of the Traction Cities think people who live in statics (stationary cities, or, horror of horrors, right on the ground!) or people who are part of the Anti-Traction League, are crazy barbarians. And then there are the airship captains and crews, based out of the one floating city.
It is a crazy steampunk world, and Tom Natsworthy stumbles into a conspiracy plot by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But as he travels with Hester across the wasteland, trying to survive their pursuers and avert catastrophe, he learns more about her, and more about how the world actually works.
I absolutely adore the last two sentences of the book, and I'm going to post those here because they aren't terribly spoilery. And they're fantastic.
"You aren't a hero, and I'm not beautiful, and we probably won't live happily ever after," she said. "But we're alive, and together, and we're going to be all right."
This book is the first of a quartet, and Reeve also wrote a prequel trilogy, so there's actually three books before AND after this book. I'll probably check my library for them, because I REALLY enjoyed this book.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
It's a crazy world, where cities have become mobile - think Howl's Moving Castle - and they chase each other across a barren world, devouring each other for resources in a social order they call Municipal Darwinism. Some cities, like London, are huge, with six main levels, not really counting the Gut, or the center of the machinery. Other towns are small, one or two levels crawling along trying to avoid the notice of the larger, faster cities. The peoples of the Traction Cities think people who live in statics (stationary cities, or, horror of horrors, right on the ground!) or people who are part of the Anti-Traction League, are crazy barbarians. And then there are the airship captains and crews, based out of the one floating city.
It is a crazy steampunk world, and Tom Natsworthy stumbles into a conspiracy plot by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But as he travels with Hester across the wasteland, trying to survive their pursuers and avert catastrophe, he learns more about her, and more about how the world actually works.
I absolutely adore the last two sentences of the book, and I'm going to post those here because they aren't terribly spoilery. And they're fantastic.
"You aren't a hero, and I'm not beautiful, and we probably won't live happily ever after," she said. "But we're alive, and together, and we're going to be all right."
This book is the first of a quartet, and Reeve also wrote a prequel trilogy, so there's actually three books before AND after this book. I'll probably check my library for them, because I REALLY enjoyed this book.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
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