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BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Devil's Prayer in Books
Sep 24, 2020
More reviews can be found at https://bbookinspector.wordpress.com
What drew me to this book was the blurb, it sounded really intriguing to me. Once I started reading the book, I thought I will be disappointed, as it sounded really historical to me, and I had no idea what was going on, but once I carried on it absorbed me. The main character in this novel supposed to be Siobhan, but her mother Denise took all the spotlight, as most of the book was about Denise. The author told the stories through multiple perspectives, and that made the book really compelling. I really liked Denise as a character, she was really interesting and I felt really sad about what happened to her. I think that Siobhan didn’t fully open as a character in this book, and I hope that it will change in the future.
The plot of this novel was very very well researched and really gripping. I really enjoyed all the unexpected turns and twists of this story, which kept me hooked till the last page. There are some parts which sound unrealistic, but I think, it gave this book a unique charm. I really enjoyed how Luke Gracias portrayed religion in this novel, it was amusing to read. Even though historical parts were crucial in this novel to understand it better, my mind tended to wander away while reading those historical parts of it. ( Have no clue why…)
The writing style of this book was creative and pleasant to read, and I have to warn you all that there is rape, drugs, and a lot of violence in this book, so it is not for weak stomach holders. The chapters are a decent length and it did not drag to me at all, because the story sucked me in, and it was hard to put it down. The book ended with a cliffhanger and I will be waiting for the next book impatiently. (It has to continue!!!) So, to conclude, it was a stunning novel filled with amusing story and it is really sad this book is available only as an E-book. I do hope that a smart publisher will consider this book because I think it is a must read for sure...
What drew me to this book was the blurb, it sounded really intriguing to me. Once I started reading the book, I thought I will be disappointed, as it sounded really historical to me, and I had no idea what was going on, but once I carried on it absorbed me. The main character in this novel supposed to be Siobhan, but her mother Denise took all the spotlight, as most of the book was about Denise. The author told the stories through multiple perspectives, and that made the book really compelling. I really liked Denise as a character, she was really interesting and I felt really sad about what happened to her. I think that Siobhan didn’t fully open as a character in this book, and I hope that it will change in the future.
The plot of this novel was very very well researched and really gripping. I really enjoyed all the unexpected turns and twists of this story, which kept me hooked till the last page. There are some parts which sound unrealistic, but I think, it gave this book a unique charm. I really enjoyed how Luke Gracias portrayed religion in this novel, it was amusing to read. Even though historical parts were crucial in this novel to understand it better, my mind tended to wander away while reading those historical parts of it. ( Have no clue why…)
The writing style of this book was creative and pleasant to read, and I have to warn you all that there is rape, drugs, and a lot of violence in this book, so it is not for weak stomach holders. The chapters are a decent length and it did not drag to me at all, because the story sucked me in, and it was hard to put it down. The book ended with a cliffhanger and I will be waiting for the next book impatiently. (It has to continue!!!) So, to conclude, it was a stunning novel filled with amusing story and it is really sad this book is available only as an E-book. I do hope that a smart publisher will consider this book because I think it is a must read for sure...
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980) in Movies
May 6, 2020 (Updated May 6, 2020)
May The Force Be With You: The Middle
Empire Strikes Back- i heard that this movie is peoples, all time greatest/best sequel and the best movie out of the oringal trilogy. To me, no. Episode 4 and 6 are better. Their are excellent sences like.. the battle at Hoth, when Han gets Frozen and the battle between Dark Vader and Luke. The rest of the movie is slow and boring.
The plot: The adventure continues in this "Star Wars" sequel. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) face attack by the Imperial forces and its AT-AT walkers on the ice planet Hoth. While Han and Leia escape in the Millennium Falcon, Luke travels to Dagobah in search of Yoda. Only with the Jedi master's help will Luke survive when the dark side of the Force beckons him into the ultimate duel with Darth Vader (David Prowse).
To me their are better movie sequels than this one like.. "Back To The Future Part II", "Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers", "The Dark Knight", "Captain America: The Winter Soilder", "Toy Story 2", "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" and "Aliens". All of these sequels are 10x better than Empire Strikes Back.
AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies – Nominated
AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills – Nominated
AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains:
Darth Vader – No. 3 Villain
AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes:
"I am your father." – Nominated
"Do, or do not. There is no try." – Nominated
AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th
Anniversary Edition) – Nominated.
Darth Vader was ranked as the third-greatest film villain of all time in the American Film Institute's 2003 list of the 100 greatest heroes and villains, and Wizard magazine selected the ending of The Empire Strikes Back as the greatest cliffhanger of all time.
The line "No, I am your father" is often misquoted as "Luke, I am your father." The line was selected as one of the 400 nominees for the American Film Institute's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes, a list of the greatest American film quotes.
I think Empire Strikes Back, even though its good. Its overrated and hyped up, to the point were its not just not as good as people say it is.
Like i said its good, but not excellent.
The plot: The adventure continues in this "Star Wars" sequel. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) face attack by the Imperial forces and its AT-AT walkers on the ice planet Hoth. While Han and Leia escape in the Millennium Falcon, Luke travels to Dagobah in search of Yoda. Only with the Jedi master's help will Luke survive when the dark side of the Force beckons him into the ultimate duel with Darth Vader (David Prowse).
To me their are better movie sequels than this one like.. "Back To The Future Part II", "Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers", "The Dark Knight", "Captain America: The Winter Soilder", "Toy Story 2", "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" and "Aliens". All of these sequels are 10x better than Empire Strikes Back.
AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies – Nominated
AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills – Nominated
AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains:
Darth Vader – No. 3 Villain
AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes:
"I am your father." – Nominated
"Do, or do not. There is no try." – Nominated
AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th
Anniversary Edition) – Nominated.
Darth Vader was ranked as the third-greatest film villain of all time in the American Film Institute's 2003 list of the 100 greatest heroes and villains, and Wizard magazine selected the ending of The Empire Strikes Back as the greatest cliffhanger of all time.
The line "No, I am your father" is often misquoted as "Luke, I am your father." The line was selected as one of the 400 nominees for the American Film Institute's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes, a list of the greatest American film quotes.
I think Empire Strikes Back, even though its good. Its overrated and hyped up, to the point were its not just not as good as people say it is.
Like i said its good, but not excellent.
Merissa (12827 KP) rated Conflicted (Secrets and Lies #1) in Books
Apr 14, 2023
Conflicted is the absolutely perfect title for this book because it not only describes the story but also how the reader will feel after reading it! According to Kindle, it was 385 pages which is a good story length but somehow it felt so much longer. This is probably because of the amount that happens in this story. It is full of twists and turns, characters turn out to be different to what you originally thought and the plot, well, take it from me that the baseline is a simple one but it gets very convoluted with all the goings on.
Mia is the main female and I couldn't quite come to grips with her. I understand that her world imploded and she felt an amazing amount of pain which no one should have to go through. I didn't like her way of 'coping' but also understand that everyone reacts differently. She seems like someone who is ruled by her body, which is completely different to what we were being told about her, which is one of the reasons I literally snorted out loud when Ethan says that he never thought of her as a 'party girl'. I'm sorry but in my book, someone who throws college parties most, if not every, weekend with loads of beer, drinks shots and wakes up with hangovers frequently, makes her quite the party girl!
Ethan is a whole new story. We don't learn much about him but he finds out quite a lot about Mia. Still waters definitely run deep with this one and I can't wait to find out more. I just hope he doesn't turn into a 'Hans' man.
Micah, Jackson, Shane, Bri - these are all secondary characters that still play a huge role in the book but I feel the surface has only been scratched with all of them. I am hoping it becomes clearer because there are still so many questions left unanswered.
This is the first book so there is a cliffhanger warning with this one!
On the whole, this was enjoyable and kept me reading. I am looking forward to reading book 2, Complicated.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 23, 2015
Mia is the main female and I couldn't quite come to grips with her. I understand that her world imploded and she felt an amazing amount of pain which no one should have to go through. I didn't like her way of 'coping' but also understand that everyone reacts differently. She seems like someone who is ruled by her body, which is completely different to what we were being told about her, which is one of the reasons I literally snorted out loud when Ethan says that he never thought of her as a 'party girl'. I'm sorry but in my book, someone who throws college parties most, if not every, weekend with loads of beer, drinks shots and wakes up with hangovers frequently, makes her quite the party girl!
Ethan is a whole new story. We don't learn much about him but he finds out quite a lot about Mia. Still waters definitely run deep with this one and I can't wait to find out more. I just hope he doesn't turn into a 'Hans' man.
Micah, Jackson, Shane, Bri - these are all secondary characters that still play a huge role in the book but I feel the surface has only been scratched with all of them. I am hoping it becomes clearer because there are still so many questions left unanswered.
This is the first book so there is a cliffhanger warning with this one!
On the whole, this was enjoyable and kept me reading. I am looking forward to reading book 2, Complicated.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 23, 2015
Consort (Nobel Reckoning #1)
10.0
Rate It
Book
Could a Fae really satisfy an Omega shifter’s heat? Would he risk his life for the chance to try? ...
Fantasy Romance Omegaverse
Merissa (12827 KP) rated Warrior Hearts Academy: Dragon Lost in Books
May 16, 2025
WARRIOR HEARTS ACADEMY: DRAGON LOST is the first book in the Dragons trilogy, but book 7 in the whole Warrior Hearts Academy series. You'll need to hold onto your hat as this book is BUSY.
This one starts after the Centaur trilogy, which I haven't read, so there were some parts that I didn't fully get. What I do know is that Bree was a centaur who was changed into something else by Isobel and told she was going to save the Realms. Hint - not true! Bree has grown up with her childhood friends and doesn't want to believe anything bad about them. This is to her detriment as they prove, on more than one occasion, that they are quite happy embracing their dark side. Bree has multiple beings inside her. A Gryphon, Caliel, is the most vocal, but there is also an equine and something big and cold. (You don't know for sure yet what it is.) So, that's Bree.
Then you have Razir, the black and purple Dragon, who has his own storyline going on, as well as Tez, who grew up as a human but is also something else. Tez's story also follows his own path, without really connecting with Bree or Razir. It is told from multiple perspectives, with their own stories being told. This meant I had to slow down my reading to make sure I didn't miss anything. Not that that's a bad thing. I'm just saying.
I felt this book was more about setting the groundwork for their story. There is all the backstory for Bree that we absolutely need, as well as Tez, and figuring out how they all fit together with Razir. It is extremely fast-paced with lots of differing stories to keep track of. I'm really looking forward to seeing how it all joins together (hopefully) in the next book.
It does end on one helluva cliffhanger, so consider yourself warned.
A great start to the Dragon trilogy and definitely recommended by me.
** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 16, 2025
This one starts after the Centaur trilogy, which I haven't read, so there were some parts that I didn't fully get. What I do know is that Bree was a centaur who was changed into something else by Isobel and told she was going to save the Realms. Hint - not true! Bree has grown up with her childhood friends and doesn't want to believe anything bad about them. This is to her detriment as they prove, on more than one occasion, that they are quite happy embracing their dark side. Bree has multiple beings inside her. A Gryphon, Caliel, is the most vocal, but there is also an equine and something big and cold. (You don't know for sure yet what it is.) So, that's Bree.
Then you have Razir, the black and purple Dragon, who has his own storyline going on, as well as Tez, who grew up as a human but is also something else. Tez's story also follows his own path, without really connecting with Bree or Razir. It is told from multiple perspectives, with their own stories being told. This meant I had to slow down my reading to make sure I didn't miss anything. Not that that's a bad thing. I'm just saying.
I felt this book was more about setting the groundwork for their story. There is all the backstory for Bree that we absolutely need, as well as Tez, and figuring out how they all fit together with Razir. It is extremely fast-paced with lots of differing stories to keep track of. I'm really looking forward to seeing how it all joins together (hopefully) in the next book.
It does end on one helluva cliffhanger, so consider yourself warned.
A great start to the Dragon trilogy and definitely recommended by me.
** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 16, 2025
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Inheritance Games in Books
May 21, 2021
I love love love these type of mystery books where riddles are involved. When I heard about The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, I was instantly intrigued. I was not disappointed. In fact, The Inheritance Games reminded me a lot of The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin although it wasn't a clone of it, thankfully.
I felt like the plot was solid. Although it is highly improbable that a teenager would be heir to a will of a random stranger and have to solve riddles to find out why, it could still be possible. My interest was piqued, and I found The Inheritance Games to be quite the page turner. The chapters would usually end in a small cliffhanger causing me to want to learn more and begin reading from the next chapter. Before I knew it, I had finished the book quite quickly. It was interesting to see Avery, the main character, go from being very poor to the richest person in the world. I enjoyed finding out why Tobias Hawthorne left her everything. I kept guessing as to why, but my theories were quickly shot down when it became apparent I was wrong. Becoming a billionaire placed Avery's life in danger and even more so when Tobias' family discovered they weren't getting much from Tobias at the reading of the will. Not only did Avery have to try to find out why Tobias chose her for his sole heir, but she also had to try to stay alive! While there weren't any major plot twists in this book, there are quite a few small ones that will leave the reader guessing. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't a major reveal as to why Avery was chosen as Tobias' heir. It was a little underwhelming and anti-climatic to discover why he had chose Avery. This book does end with a cliffhanger since it is going to be a series. However, the main questions I had within the first book in The Inheritance Games series were all answered.
I loved each and every character in The Inheritance Games with the exception of Avery's best friend Max. Don't get me wrong, each character felt realistic and fleshed out enough, but Max was just annoying. Max has very strict parents, and Avery's only interactions with Max are through phone calls and texts. However, the way Max spoke was what was annoying. She didn't swear, so she'd use non-swear words for swear words. However, every other word was a would be swear word. I am not exaggerating. I don't think I've ever met a teen where they would swear that much or use other words in place of swear words that often. It just got annoying quickly, and I found myself dreading whenever Max was featured. I did love all the other characters though. I loved Avery and her thirst for knowledge. Avery was a very smart girl with a good head on her shoulders. I admired the way she could quickly work out any puzzle or riddle. I liked reading about her thought process towards figuring something out. I felt like Avery was also very selfless. Jameson, one of the Hawthorne brothers, was another character I really loved. His smarts for figuring out riddles and puzzles were also admirable. Grayson, another Hawthorne brother, was a bit of a wild horse. I never knew if I could trust him or not. (Although I didn't really know if I could trust anyone while reading The Inheritance Games. I kept trying to figure out if there were any ulterior motives at play.) Grayson's wanting to help out people whether it was Avery or his community through the Hawthorne Foundation was commendable. Nash, the oldest Hawthorne brother, was so stereotypically Texan that it made me laugh (as I am from Texas), but I loved it! Nash's laid back attitude was refreshing. Alexander, the youngest Hawthorne brother, wasn't featured as much for me to fully form an opinion, but I liked what I read about him. Avery's sister Libby had awesome dress sense, and I did love how she looked out for her sister for the most part. Figuring out Emily's role in all this was interesting. I would have liked to see more backstory about Emily and Rebecca (the hired helps daughters) though. They both had the potential to really flesh the story out more.
Trigger warnings for The Inheritance Games include some violence, some gun violence, attempted murder, and death.
Overall, The Inheritance Games is a quick paced read full of mystery and intrigue that will leave its readers not wanting to put it down. I would definitely recommend The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes to those aged 14+ who love a fast paced mystery that will leave them guessing throughout the book. I can not wait for the next book in the series!
I felt like the plot was solid. Although it is highly improbable that a teenager would be heir to a will of a random stranger and have to solve riddles to find out why, it could still be possible. My interest was piqued, and I found The Inheritance Games to be quite the page turner. The chapters would usually end in a small cliffhanger causing me to want to learn more and begin reading from the next chapter. Before I knew it, I had finished the book quite quickly. It was interesting to see Avery, the main character, go from being very poor to the richest person in the world. I enjoyed finding out why Tobias Hawthorne left her everything. I kept guessing as to why, but my theories were quickly shot down when it became apparent I was wrong. Becoming a billionaire placed Avery's life in danger and even more so when Tobias' family discovered they weren't getting much from Tobias at the reading of the will. Not only did Avery have to try to find out why Tobias chose her for his sole heir, but she also had to try to stay alive! While there weren't any major plot twists in this book, there are quite a few small ones that will leave the reader guessing. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't a major reveal as to why Avery was chosen as Tobias' heir. It was a little underwhelming and anti-climatic to discover why he had chose Avery. This book does end with a cliffhanger since it is going to be a series. However, the main questions I had within the first book in The Inheritance Games series were all answered.
I loved each and every character in The Inheritance Games with the exception of Avery's best friend Max. Don't get me wrong, each character felt realistic and fleshed out enough, but Max was just annoying. Max has very strict parents, and Avery's only interactions with Max are through phone calls and texts. However, the way Max spoke was what was annoying. She didn't swear, so she'd use non-swear words for swear words. However, every other word was a would be swear word. I am not exaggerating. I don't think I've ever met a teen where they would swear that much or use other words in place of swear words that often. It just got annoying quickly, and I found myself dreading whenever Max was featured. I did love all the other characters though. I loved Avery and her thirst for knowledge. Avery was a very smart girl with a good head on her shoulders. I admired the way she could quickly work out any puzzle or riddle. I liked reading about her thought process towards figuring something out. I felt like Avery was also very selfless. Jameson, one of the Hawthorne brothers, was another character I really loved. His smarts for figuring out riddles and puzzles were also admirable. Grayson, another Hawthorne brother, was a bit of a wild horse. I never knew if I could trust him or not. (Although I didn't really know if I could trust anyone while reading The Inheritance Games. I kept trying to figure out if there were any ulterior motives at play.) Grayson's wanting to help out people whether it was Avery or his community through the Hawthorne Foundation was commendable. Nash, the oldest Hawthorne brother, was so stereotypically Texan that it made me laugh (as I am from Texas), but I loved it! Nash's laid back attitude was refreshing. Alexander, the youngest Hawthorne brother, wasn't featured as much for me to fully form an opinion, but I liked what I read about him. Avery's sister Libby had awesome dress sense, and I did love how she looked out for her sister for the most part. Figuring out Emily's role in all this was interesting. I would have liked to see more backstory about Emily and Rebecca (the hired helps daughters) though. They both had the potential to really flesh the story out more.
Trigger warnings for The Inheritance Games include some violence, some gun violence, attempted murder, and death.
Overall, The Inheritance Games is a quick paced read full of mystery and intrigue that will leave its readers not wanting to put it down. I would definitely recommend The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes to those aged 14+ who love a fast paced mystery that will leave them guessing throughout the book. I can not wait for the next book in the series!
Rachel (48 KP) rated Forsaken (Shadow Cove Saga #1) in Books
May 27, 2017
Absolutely loved it
I absolutely adored this novel, it felt like it was written just for me!
This is the first J.D. Barker I have read but it certainly won't be the last. I will be adding any sequels to my wish list immediately.
Forsaken This novel starts with a reference that any horror lover will recognise immediately. I was slightly confused by this - the dates do not work - but don't worry, all is explained by the end of the book.
The story started slowly and gradually built momentum, like all good stories should. It starts innocently enough with a bad dream of Rachael's, who is married to an author called Thad and nearing the end of her pregnancy of their second child. Eight year old Ashley and Buster the dog complete the family.
I very quickly found myself liking the character's. They are well rounded and believable. All of the conversation between them is natural and background information about them is presented at just the right pace.
I read just under 70% of the book in one sitting. I would have finished it in a day if annoying illness hadn't of made holding my Kindle impossible! It really is that kind of book, you need to keep reading because you need to know what is going to happen next. It managed to surprise me a number of times without resorting to wild twists.
Some of the novel is told through the eyes of a scribe in the 1600's and this adds to the excitement of reading - I both wanted to hear more from him whilst being desperate to get back to the main storyline. His sections are not written in olde English which is a good thing. It's rare for that to work and not become an annoyance.
It is a fast paced story without feeling rushed. I never felt confused about what was going on. Well, actually, that did happen once but was due to it being 5am and me not reading a characters name correctly!
The ending is a cliffhanger of sorts but, as this is #1 of a series, that really is to be expected. I am genuinely excited about reading the next book and I am going to look it up as soon as I finish this review.
I love horror/supernatural books and am constantly searching for 'the perfect' story. I'm not sure if many books could be described as such but this came close.
This is the first J.D. Barker I have read but it certainly won't be the last. I will be adding any sequels to my wish list immediately.
Forsaken This novel starts with a reference that any horror lover will recognise immediately. I was slightly confused by this - the dates do not work - but don't worry, all is explained by the end of the book.
The story started slowly and gradually built momentum, like all good stories should. It starts innocently enough with a bad dream of Rachael's, who is married to an author called Thad and nearing the end of her pregnancy of their second child. Eight year old Ashley and Buster the dog complete the family.
I very quickly found myself liking the character's. They are well rounded and believable. All of the conversation between them is natural and background information about them is presented at just the right pace.
I read just under 70% of the book in one sitting. I would have finished it in a day if annoying illness hadn't of made holding my Kindle impossible! It really is that kind of book, you need to keep reading because you need to know what is going to happen next. It managed to surprise me a number of times without resorting to wild twists.
Some of the novel is told through the eyes of a scribe in the 1600's and this adds to the excitement of reading - I both wanted to hear more from him whilst being desperate to get back to the main storyline. His sections are not written in olde English which is a good thing. It's rare for that to work and not become an annoyance.
It is a fast paced story without feeling rushed. I never felt confused about what was going on. Well, actually, that did happen once but was due to it being 5am and me not reading a characters name correctly!
The ending is a cliffhanger of sorts but, as this is #1 of a series, that really is to be expected. I am genuinely excited about reading the next book and I am going to look it up as soon as I finish this review.
I love horror/supernatural books and am constantly searching for 'the perfect' story. I'm not sure if many books could be described as such but this came close.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Avengers: Infinity War (2018) in Movies
May 5, 2018
Very good "culmination" of the last 10 years of Marvel Films
AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR is the best film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Said to be the culmination of 10 years worth of Marvel films - and Marvel heroes - INFINITY WAR lives up to it's bill, bringing all the Marvel Universe heroes together to fight a "big bad" that is worthy of this sort of thing - THANOS.
Voiced by Josh Brolin, the CGI Thanos is powerful, destructive, razor-focused on his one purpose with moments of "humanity" that makes him an interesting villain. The filmmakers kept his motivation and machinations simple so you are never confused by this bad guy or what he is trying to do. What surprised me is that the filmmakers added another layer to this character that was a nice layer that really added to the character, his motivations and his personality.
As for the band of heroes brought together for this film, it works well. The criticisms I have heard is that no ONE hero stands out, so EVERY hero is in the background. I couldn't disagree more. I thought the evenness of the "screen time" was one of the strengths of this film, not focusing too much on one hero (or heroes), giving all time to shine - and focus on what they do best. There were moments of humor, drama, action and heroism sprinkled across all. But what really thrilled me was the different combinations that were put together, for these heroes all had different missions and assignments and some odd and interesting cross-film dynamics took shape. I won't give any of these away, but I thought they ALL dynamics blended together nicely.
This is definitely a "fan-boy" film, giving service to fans of all these films, characters - and comics and credit for that should go to filmmakers Anthony and Joe Russo (Directors of the previously best film in this series - CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER) who kept the action moving, the motivations of the participants simple and the effects dazzling.
One final note - this is the first part of a two part film, so it does end in a cliffhanger, one that works effectively well. As always with the Marvel films - but especially in this one - stay through to the end of the credits, the scene at the end of the credits sets up Part 2.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time at this film and can't wait to see the next one.
Letter Grade: A
9 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Said to be the culmination of 10 years worth of Marvel films - and Marvel heroes - INFINITY WAR lives up to it's bill, bringing all the Marvel Universe heroes together to fight a "big bad" that is worthy of this sort of thing - THANOS.
Voiced by Josh Brolin, the CGI Thanos is powerful, destructive, razor-focused on his one purpose with moments of "humanity" that makes him an interesting villain. The filmmakers kept his motivation and machinations simple so you are never confused by this bad guy or what he is trying to do. What surprised me is that the filmmakers added another layer to this character that was a nice layer that really added to the character, his motivations and his personality.
As for the band of heroes brought together for this film, it works well. The criticisms I have heard is that no ONE hero stands out, so EVERY hero is in the background. I couldn't disagree more. I thought the evenness of the "screen time" was one of the strengths of this film, not focusing too much on one hero (or heroes), giving all time to shine - and focus on what they do best. There were moments of humor, drama, action and heroism sprinkled across all. But what really thrilled me was the different combinations that were put together, for these heroes all had different missions and assignments and some odd and interesting cross-film dynamics took shape. I won't give any of these away, but I thought they ALL dynamics blended together nicely.
This is definitely a "fan-boy" film, giving service to fans of all these films, characters - and comics and credit for that should go to filmmakers Anthony and Joe Russo (Directors of the previously best film in this series - CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER) who kept the action moving, the motivations of the participants simple and the effects dazzling.
One final note - this is the first part of a two part film, so it does end in a cliffhanger, one that works effectively well. As always with the Marvel films - but especially in this one - stay through to the end of the credits, the scene at the end of the credits sets up Part 2.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time at this film and can't wait to see the next one.
Letter Grade: A
9 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated On What Grounds (Coffeehouse Mystery, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
On What Grounds is a good start to this series, but not great by any means. The mystery was lacking and there weren't enough clues for the reader to even get close to figuring out whodunnit or why. The explanations about the different types of coffee are very interesting, but come close to taking over the storyline. Some of the things I did not like about the writing style, were that, at times, the writing could be condescending, such as a Tanya Harding example that didn't sound natural and seemed to imply that the reader has been living in a cave for the last twenty or so years, then there's the backtracking into past events for around twenty pages and then returning to the cliffhanger which is where we left off of and then trying to remember where that was exactly (ugh! Sorry, but doing that three or four times is unnecessary and annoying), and the end was way to preachy about Anabelle's life and choices - this isn't an after school special or a Lifetime movie, get over yourselves (the authors that is :P). Another thing (yes there's more!), I don't like the love triangle aspect. For the most part, an ex should stay an ex (I know there are some exceptions, but that's just my preference in this case), and I much prefer Quinn, who I really hope isn't married.
Oh, and one more thing... I took a little offense to the disdain of decaf drinkers. I just don't handle caffeine that well - yes, I might be an anxious person, but I don't have imagined allergies or neuroses or whatever else she describes most decaf drinkers as. Not to mention, it makes me very shaky, in a bad way, and I cannot fathom drinking as much coffee as she does all the time - I need sleep! LoL Yes, I'll imbibe in coffee that isn't decaf, but for the most part, I'd rather have decaf. Gotta problem with that?! :P
What I did like...
Clare - some other reviews I've read have been iffy about her, but I blame how the authors wrote the book.
Java - I know it's a cozy mystery cliche, but I love cats in books. :)
Learning about coffee - it's really rather interesting.
Recipes - gotta love those!
The promise of a good series - the writing overall is good and I hope that now that most of the history has been written about, the next books will flow better.
Oh, and one more thing... I took a little offense to the disdain of decaf drinkers. I just don't handle caffeine that well - yes, I might be an anxious person, but I don't have imagined allergies or neuroses or whatever else she describes most decaf drinkers as. Not to mention, it makes me very shaky, in a bad way, and I cannot fathom drinking as much coffee as she does all the time - I need sleep! LoL Yes, I'll imbibe in coffee that isn't decaf, but for the most part, I'd rather have decaf. Gotta problem with that?! :P
What I did like...
Clare - some other reviews I've read have been iffy about her, but I blame how the authors wrote the book.
Java - I know it's a cozy mystery cliche, but I love cats in books. :)
Learning about coffee - it's really rather interesting.
Recipes - gotta love those!
The promise of a good series - the writing overall is good and I hope that now that most of the history has been written about, the next books will flow better.
Lilyn G - Sci-Fi & Scary (91 KP) rated Monster Hunter International in Books
Jun 2, 2018
One book - I'm hooked!
Well, heck. That’s just what I needed. Another bloody series to get hooked on. If the second book is as good as the first, I’ll be well and truly hooked. So, honestly, I’m kind of hoping the second book sucks a bit so I can get off this fan train and save myself some money.
So, in case that first paragraph wasn’t very clear: I loved Monster Hunter International. I was hooked from the beginning, and happily went along for the whole crazy, monster-killing ride. It was just different enough to keep me interested. Oliver Wyman did a great job with the narration. His regular reading voice is soothing, and his voices are very different from each other. He never made me wince like some readers (ie: the guy who read King’s IT) do.
I’m not a gun nut. Not really. I mean, I don’t currently own one. I don’t see the need for automatic rifles. Blah, blah, blah. I do, however, like to shoot them and I like book and screen violence. Therefore, the sheer amount of shoot-em-ups and physical thumpings that went on in this book made me very happy. Pitt, Holly, and Harbinger (and the plot) were just a happy bonus.
One of the things that surprised me was that Monster Hunter International hit what would normally be a climax and cliffhanger scene with about six hours left to go in the audio. After how intense that particular scene was, I wondered how Correia could go on for six more hours. But, I trusted him, and his ass-kicking game had been strong so far, so I listened on. He managed quite well.
This book hit all the high points for me. The main character (Pitt) wasn’t perfect, wasn’t even sure of himself, didn’t feel like he was God’s gift to women, etc. Julie seemed a bit too perfect, but she didn’t have a lot of screen time, so she was easy to forget about. Holly and Trip were great side-kicks. However, Harbinger was the one that won me over. I spent half the novel going “Okay, something’s definitely not right about him? What..” and then when it was revealed, I was totally “HOLY CRAP!” Because I did not expect that.
I am telling you right now, if Harbinger dies in one of the Monster Hunter International books, I will immediately stop reading the series.
Epic fights, interesting story, fun characters, and a great narrator all combined to make Monster Hunter International a clear winner. Highly recommend this book!
So, in case that first paragraph wasn’t very clear: I loved Monster Hunter International. I was hooked from the beginning, and happily went along for the whole crazy, monster-killing ride. It was just different enough to keep me interested. Oliver Wyman did a great job with the narration. His regular reading voice is soothing, and his voices are very different from each other. He never made me wince like some readers (ie: the guy who read King’s IT) do.
I’m not a gun nut. Not really. I mean, I don’t currently own one. I don’t see the need for automatic rifles. Blah, blah, blah. I do, however, like to shoot them and I like book and screen violence. Therefore, the sheer amount of shoot-em-ups and physical thumpings that went on in this book made me very happy. Pitt, Holly, and Harbinger (and the plot) were just a happy bonus.
One of the things that surprised me was that Monster Hunter International hit what would normally be a climax and cliffhanger scene with about six hours left to go in the audio. After how intense that particular scene was, I wondered how Correia could go on for six more hours. But, I trusted him, and his ass-kicking game had been strong so far, so I listened on. He managed quite well.
This book hit all the high points for me. The main character (Pitt) wasn’t perfect, wasn’t even sure of himself, didn’t feel like he was God’s gift to women, etc. Julie seemed a bit too perfect, but she didn’t have a lot of screen time, so she was easy to forget about. Holly and Trip were great side-kicks. However, Harbinger was the one that won me over. I spent half the novel going “Okay, something’s definitely not right about him? What..” and then when it was revealed, I was totally “HOLY CRAP!” Because I did not expect that.
I am telling you right now, if Harbinger dies in one of the Monster Hunter International books, I will immediately stop reading the series.
Epic fights, interesting story, fun characters, and a great narrator all combined to make Monster Hunter International a clear winner. Highly recommend this book!