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Rachel King (13 KP) rated Shalador's Lady (The Black Jewels #8) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
I found this book to be a very satisfying continuation of Lady Cassidy's story from The Shadow Queen (Black Jewels, Book 7). Even though a Bishop wields a substantial cast of characters between the pages of this book, each character is given his or her time in the spotlight, from my series favorites, such as Surreal and Daemon, to newer characters like Gray and Ranon. Each one has a subplot to work through, yet all loose ends are resolved quite neatly. I enjoyed how the plot would switch seamlessly between the story arcs of Cassidy's realm and Jaenelle's realm without taking away from either.
This book seemed to give the reader a glimpse into how the tainting of the Blood occurred by how good men could become bound to bad Queens. Kermilla played the role perfectly by how naive and self-centered she behaved, making her completely oblivious to the trouble she was creating. It is easy to see what Theran sees in her, because it is clear to me that were she to ever learn to use her strengths for the good of others instead of herself, she could become a very powerful force. Though I could not stand Kermilla from the very beginning, I think her character has too much potential not to use her in further books in the Black Jewels series.
The Kindred of the Blood continue to take a vital role in the progression of the plot, which I find both ingenious and quite humorous, as they are unpredictable in many ways. With the Kindred involved, there is guaranteed to be surprises - both good and bad. I could easily see a Kindred-centered novella come out of this book.
My favorite part of this book was watching the transformation of Gray into Jared Blaed as him and Cassidy fall in love. The progression is slow without feeling dragged out, and each stage has its rewards, with his casual relationship with Jaenelle's inner circle, as well as his introduction into Cassidy's circle. I'm a bit disappointed that Bishop did not create a way for Gray to gain the power he missed out on the first time, simply because it feels like he was punished for what he had no control over in his past.
I also love the humor that Bishop interjects so effortlessly into the plot, such as the interactions between Ranon and Gray and the rest of Jaenelle's court. The same old chemistry is still there with all of the "former court," and I have to wonder if the references to her court don't indicate a coming change in future books. I greatly look forward to the next installment in the Black Jewels series, Twilight's Dawn: A Black Jewels Book.
This book seemed to give the reader a glimpse into how the tainting of the Blood occurred by how good men could become bound to bad Queens. Kermilla played the role perfectly by how naive and self-centered she behaved, making her completely oblivious to the trouble she was creating. It is easy to see what Theran sees in her, because it is clear to me that were she to ever learn to use her strengths for the good of others instead of herself, she could become a very powerful force. Though I could not stand Kermilla from the very beginning, I think her character has too much potential not to use her in further books in the Black Jewels series.
The Kindred of the Blood continue to take a vital role in the progression of the plot, which I find both ingenious and quite humorous, as they are unpredictable in many ways. With the Kindred involved, there is guaranteed to be surprises - both good and bad. I could easily see a Kindred-centered novella come out of this book.
My favorite part of this book was watching the transformation of Gray into Jared Blaed as him and Cassidy fall in love. The progression is slow without feeling dragged out, and each stage has its rewards, with his casual relationship with Jaenelle's inner circle, as well as his introduction into Cassidy's circle. I'm a bit disappointed that Bishop did not create a way for Gray to gain the power he missed out on the first time, simply because it feels like he was punished for what he had no control over in his past.
I also love the humor that Bishop interjects so effortlessly into the plot, such as the interactions between Ranon and Gray and the rest of Jaenelle's court. The same old chemistry is still there with all of the "former court," and I have to wonder if the references to her court don't indicate a coming change in future books. I greatly look forward to the next installment in the Black Jewels series, Twilight's Dawn: A Black Jewels Book.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Game Of Thrones - Season 8 in TV
May 29, 2019 (Updated May 30, 2019)
A bit of a let-down
I don't think I will ever understand why the decision was made to squeeze the final season into 6 episodes. This seems to have put all the onus on ending storylines quickly and less on building tension. And yet, so much of this series was slow, drawn out padding.
There were two episodes of pretty much non-stop action. These were visually stunning, however so badly written and incongruous. Given how well the series as a whole has tried to mimic medieval European history, to have a battle start and end in a very short time was simply nonsense. No attention to likely battle plans was attempted (a sieging army wouldn't attack, and a besieged army wouldn't come out onto the field of battle), it was just a CGI-heavy, smoky, frantic fight.
The rest of the series was a much slower pace, which is GoT's style. However those episodes were so flat and dull as to be like someone else entirely had written them. Gone was the political wrangling, the back-stabbing and the two-facedness (generally, there were some brief moments of this).
The focus of each episode was also almost solely in one place, where it has always been at its best by showing so many things at a time. Rather than this being the convergence of all story threads, this just came across as storytelling-by-numbers.
I had no problems with Daenerys' change in character - it had been so well hinted at that you didn't have to be the 3-eyed raven to see it coming. It also felt totally in line with her past decisions, and family history, and this was one of the few parts I felt were well written and understandable.
A lot of fan-favourite characters got shat on in the final few series, but I don't see why people are surprised - the main character of the first series was beheaded in that same series, so this was quite normal for GoT.
I really did not like the final outcome of the series, with Bran on the throne and the whole scene with all the lords (some of whom I still don't recognise) was painful - why would they listen to Tyrion and go with his "can't defeat a story" nonsense.
Overall, it was not a finale worthy of the series as a whole, but it was a reasonably enjoyable and at times thrilling conclusion to an epic story.
And one good thing to come out of this is the motivation it will give other writers: get on with finishing your stories or Benioff and Weiss will do it for you!
There were two episodes of pretty much non-stop action. These were visually stunning, however so badly written and incongruous. Given how well the series as a whole has tried to mimic medieval European history, to have a battle start and end in a very short time was simply nonsense. No attention to likely battle plans was attempted (a sieging army wouldn't attack, and a besieged army wouldn't come out onto the field of battle), it was just a CGI-heavy, smoky, frantic fight.
The rest of the series was a much slower pace, which is GoT's style. However those episodes were so flat and dull as to be like someone else entirely had written them. Gone was the political wrangling, the back-stabbing and the two-facedness (generally, there were some brief moments of this).
The focus of each episode was also almost solely in one place, where it has always been at its best by showing so many things at a time. Rather than this being the convergence of all story threads, this just came across as storytelling-by-numbers.
I had no problems with Daenerys' change in character - it had been so well hinted at that you didn't have to be the 3-eyed raven to see it coming. It also felt totally in line with her past decisions, and family history, and this was one of the few parts I felt were well written and understandable.
A lot of fan-favourite characters got shat on in the final few series, but I don't see why people are surprised - the main character of the first series was beheaded in that same series, so this was quite normal for GoT.
I really did not like the final outcome of the series, with Bran on the throne and the whole scene with all the lords (some of whom I still don't recognise) was painful - why would they listen to Tyrion and go with his "can't defeat a story" nonsense.
Overall, it was not a finale worthy of the series as a whole, but it was a reasonably enjoyable and at times thrilling conclusion to an epic story.
And one good thing to come out of this is the motivation it will give other writers: get on with finishing your stories or Benioff and Weiss will do it for you!
Kyera (8 KP) rated They Both Die At The End in Books
Jan 31, 2018
They Both Die at the End. That tells you exactly what is going to happen in the book, yet you hope the entire time that it won't be true. This book made me so happy and sad. The journey was hopeful despite the dark theme and you really connect with the characters. This was my first Adam Silvera novel and I am definitely interested in reading more of his books now.
I also listened to the audiobook for this, rather than physically reading it. I really enjoyed the two narrators who voiced the main characters, Mateo and Rufus. Both Silvera's words and the narrator's execution made the characters come to life. My one negative for the narration was the women who voiced the supporting characters when the chapters switched to their points of view.
I would have been happy with the story being told from just Mateo and Rufus' points of view. Some of the alternative viewpoints added an interesting note to the story or helped weave seemingly unrelated events and lives together, but I didn't feel that they were all relevant and occasionally took me out of the story.
I felt that the two main characters were very well fleshed out and seemed like teenage boys living out their last day. Mateo's anxiety was unique and nicely represented. I also loved that this was an own voices novel, so there was diversity and representation. The novel completely revolves around these two and it's perfect that way. I also feel that Silvera's side characters were decently developed, you could see that they were each unique people but they weren't so detailed that they took away from Mateo and Rufus' stories.
Honestly, even though you know what's coming the book manages to keep you completely emotionally engaged and on your toes. Right in the beginning of the book one of Rufus' friends starts to cry because he didn't get to hug his best friend. It was so sad, so soon and we hadn't even experienced hundreds of pages of development and heart-string tugging yet. I knew right then that I was in for a book that would have an affect.
I am not entirely sure how I feel about the world-building. The contemporary aspects of it were fantastic and I could completely see each place that the two visited. It was the Death-Cast aspect of it that felt a little flimsy to me. I think that part of the story is the mystery of it, but I do wish we learned more. It one of the few things that I felt could be improved in this book.
I really enjoyed this read and would highly recommend it if you like character-driven novels and don't mind a good cry at the end..
I also listened to the audiobook for this, rather than physically reading it. I really enjoyed the two narrators who voiced the main characters, Mateo and Rufus. Both Silvera's words and the narrator's execution made the characters come to life. My one negative for the narration was the women who voiced the supporting characters when the chapters switched to their points of view.
I would have been happy with the story being told from just Mateo and Rufus' points of view. Some of the alternative viewpoints added an interesting note to the story or helped weave seemingly unrelated events and lives together, but I didn't feel that they were all relevant and occasionally took me out of the story.
I felt that the two main characters were very well fleshed out and seemed like teenage boys living out their last day. Mateo's anxiety was unique and nicely represented. I also loved that this was an own voices novel, so there was diversity and representation. The novel completely revolves around these two and it's perfect that way. I also feel that Silvera's side characters were decently developed, you could see that they were each unique people but they weren't so detailed that they took away from Mateo and Rufus' stories.
Honestly, even though you know what's coming the book manages to keep you completely emotionally engaged and on your toes. Right in the beginning of the book one of Rufus' friends starts to cry because he didn't get to hug his best friend. It was so sad, so soon and we hadn't even experienced hundreds of pages of development and heart-string tugging yet. I knew right then that I was in for a book that would have an affect.
I am not entirely sure how I feel about the world-building. The contemporary aspects of it were fantastic and I could completely see each place that the two visited. It was the Death-Cast aspect of it that felt a little flimsy to me. I think that part of the story is the mystery of it, but I do wish we learned more. It one of the few things that I felt could be improved in this book.
I really enjoyed this read and would highly recommend it if you like character-driven novels and don't mind a good cry at the end..
Christina Haynes (148 KP) rated Avoiding Alpha in Books
Jun 14, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
So Tessa is now a Werewolf, Human and Bruja (Witch in Spanish) She has accepted the fact she is one and can't do anything about it. She has also accepted that Dastien is her mate. But what she hasn't accepted is that she is going to have to change into a wolf... And that scares her.
With the Vampires gone, and her and Dastien enjoying life as mates. Things couldn't be better (other than the changing into a Werewolf part) However there is a Tribunal approaching because of the whole Dastien biting her thing... (Because wolves aren't allowed to bite human and Dastien broke that rule. They have to have tribubal. Although he bit her due to her being his mate, it still has to happen) She is terrified of what might happen to them both.
Then Meredith her best friend and room neighbor. Was cursed a few years ago so her wolf can't come out and she is never about to change into one again. This curse is now breaking. With Meredith finding her mate in Donovan, who is one of the seven (one of the high Werewolves, who are in charge of all Were.) She freaks and her wolf tries to break out and this gets her really ill. So ill she could die.
Tessa tries to find away to help her by breaking the curse and freeing her wolf. She tries magic and asks for her cousins help. But unfortunately there is no way to break another Witches curse. So Tessa suggests trying to keep the curse to save her life and then working on away to stop this curse later. Once Meredith is better.
We then find out who cursed her and why, Tessa then tries to talk to this Witch and get her to break that curse. But this Witch the leader of the Coven hates all Werewolves and will only break this curse (put the curse back on her and stop the wolf coming back) if she can do the same to Tessa and she joins the Coven she is destined to lead. But Tessa won't join.
Tessa tries to break the curse again and tries to keep Meridith's wolf at bay. But is unsuccessful in doing so. She goes back to the Coven ready to make a deal, but in going there she learns how to break the curse completely. But in order to break this curse she needs to accept she is going to have to change to become a wolf. Which she finally does.
With the Tribunal approaching Tessa has so many emotions. She needs to relax and save Meredith and become one with who she is.
3☕ – NOT A BAD BOOK
Love, Christina ?
With the Vampires gone, and her and Dastien enjoying life as mates. Things couldn't be better (other than the changing into a Werewolf part) However there is a Tribunal approaching because of the whole Dastien biting her thing... (Because wolves aren't allowed to bite human and Dastien broke that rule. They have to have tribubal. Although he bit her due to her being his mate, it still has to happen) She is terrified of what might happen to them both.
Then Meredith her best friend and room neighbor. Was cursed a few years ago so her wolf can't come out and she is never about to change into one again. This curse is now breaking. With Meredith finding her mate in Donovan, who is one of the seven (one of the high Werewolves, who are in charge of all Were.) She freaks and her wolf tries to break out and this gets her really ill. So ill she could die.
Tessa tries to find away to help her by breaking the curse and freeing her wolf. She tries magic and asks for her cousins help. But unfortunately there is no way to break another Witches curse. So Tessa suggests trying to keep the curse to save her life and then working on away to stop this curse later. Once Meredith is better.
We then find out who cursed her and why, Tessa then tries to talk to this Witch and get her to break that curse. But this Witch the leader of the Coven hates all Werewolves and will only break this curse (put the curse back on her and stop the wolf coming back) if she can do the same to Tessa and she joins the Coven she is destined to lead. But Tessa won't join.
Tessa tries to break the curse again and tries to keep Meridith's wolf at bay. But is unsuccessful in doing so. She goes back to the Coven ready to make a deal, but in going there she learns how to break the curse completely. But in order to break this curse she needs to accept she is going to have to change to become a wolf. Which she finally does.
With the Tribunal approaching Tessa has so many emotions. She needs to relax and save Meredith and become one with who she is.
3☕ – NOT A BAD BOOK
Love, Christina ?
Bookapotamus (289 KP) rated Educated in Books
May 29, 2018
All the stars in the Idaho Sky! Tara Westover is so very brave. And her book is hands-down, 5+ stars amazing. This is by far the most riveting memoir I've ever read. I am so fascinated by cult-like religions, as well as homesteaders/survivalists and end-of-the-world preppers - and this quenched every thirst I've ever had for all those things and infinitely beyond. This was the extreme of both of those worlds. I cannot believe this is real life. The epitome of "you can't make this sh*t up," I imagine those words running through Tara's head often.
This is a story of growing up in middle-of-nowhere Idaho with Mormon anti-government parents, who "home-schooled" Tara and her brothers and sisters, while preaching these crazy ideals on these poor kids who just didn't know any better. They believed everything their parents said (who wouldn't believe their own parents?!), and the abuse and neglect she had to essentially endure because of it, was heartbreaking. These kids grew up with no birth certificates, never stepping foot inside a classroom or a doctor's office, zero modern medicine (including for severe burns and brain injury!), living in filth and squalor, and the constant pressure to be of extreme faith and a tireless servant of a God, that required way to much of these poor children. And all under the watchful eyes of a father who takes no less than their utter devotion to that God, no matter what the consequences.
It pains me to see them choose sides throughout - you really do get the sense that these parents love Tara in all the way they know how, and they honestly feel that what they are doing is right and just, but it's just so blatantly wrong. I applaud Tara for trying so very hard - throughout every victory in her life without them, and coming out on the other side, not bitter at all, still feeling love for her family.
I was enthralled by this memoir. There wasn't any second of this book that dragged, or lulled - I literally could not put it down. The writing is so well thought out, every person rich with description and character, and you root for this strong-willed little girl to get out, and make something of her life and triumph over the family who may love her, but believe her to be evil because she just wants to be free. And we know, because of this amazing book, she finally is.
Love. Love. Love!
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review and to Tara Westover for sharing her story.
This is a story of growing up in middle-of-nowhere Idaho with Mormon anti-government parents, who "home-schooled" Tara and her brothers and sisters, while preaching these crazy ideals on these poor kids who just didn't know any better. They believed everything their parents said (who wouldn't believe their own parents?!), and the abuse and neglect she had to essentially endure because of it, was heartbreaking. These kids grew up with no birth certificates, never stepping foot inside a classroom or a doctor's office, zero modern medicine (including for severe burns and brain injury!), living in filth and squalor, and the constant pressure to be of extreme faith and a tireless servant of a God, that required way to much of these poor children. And all under the watchful eyes of a father who takes no less than their utter devotion to that God, no matter what the consequences.
It pains me to see them choose sides throughout - you really do get the sense that these parents love Tara in all the way they know how, and they honestly feel that what they are doing is right and just, but it's just so blatantly wrong. I applaud Tara for trying so very hard - throughout every victory in her life without them, and coming out on the other side, not bitter at all, still feeling love for her family.
I was enthralled by this memoir. There wasn't any second of this book that dragged, or lulled - I literally could not put it down. The writing is so well thought out, every person rich with description and character, and you root for this strong-willed little girl to get out, and make something of her life and triumph over the family who may love her, but believe her to be evil because she just wants to be free. And we know, because of this amazing book, she finally is.
Love. Love. Love!
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review and to Tara Westover for sharing her story.
Lee (2222 KP) rated Overlord (2018) in Movies
Nov 5, 2018 (Updated Nov 6, 2018)
Brutal and intensely enjoyable
Overlord follows a group of WWII soldiers on a mission to bring down a radio tower in a remote French town. It opens with our team of soldiers traveling by plane, one of a large number of aircraft and warships all heading towards enemy territory during the dead of night. As they near their destination, things heat up. Bullet fire begins raining up from the enemy on the ground and things become very intense, with our soldiers having to evacuate the plane quickly. We are then treated to a stunning one shot sequence following the soldiers as they parachute to the ground, surrounded by explosions, bullets and complete chaos.
Down on the ground, the team (what's left of them) regroup and begin making their way towards the radio tower in order to carry out their mission. They have Nazi soldiers and landmines to contend with though, eventually coming across a local woman from the town they're headed to, and she leads them back to the home she shares with her younger brother and poorly aunt. It turns out that the town is being terrorised by Nazi officers who are randomly killing the towns residents and then doing shocking things with them beneath the radio tower that our soldiers are seeking to destroy.
The thing about Ovelord, for me, is that it never goes full on crazy with all the zombie experiment stuff that they show you in the trailers. Up until this moment in the town, and throughout the rest of the movie to a certain degree, Overlord is basically just a really solid war story in a similar vein to something like Saving Private Ryan. An intense opening, a journey across enemy territory by a team of soldiers, some scenes within a war-torn village. Time is dedicated to introducing and developing the characters and, even if the odd one is a little bit stereotypical, the whole thing feels very well done and hugely enjoyable. It's a fair while before you get any hint of anything more than that and when you do, it's not a complete From Dusk Till Dawn style flip either. It's not over the top and is in a similar tone and style to what's come up until that point. I felt that made it all the more believable, and even more terrifying.
The practical effects relating to the creatures the Nazi soldiers are creating are extremely effective and disturbing at times. They had the desired effect of either making me squirm in my seat, jump out of my skin or grin from ear to ear at how cool it all was! I absolutely loved this movie. Brutal, intensely enjoyable and with a satisfying ending. Loved it.
Down on the ground, the team (what's left of them) regroup and begin making their way towards the radio tower in order to carry out their mission. They have Nazi soldiers and landmines to contend with though, eventually coming across a local woman from the town they're headed to, and she leads them back to the home she shares with her younger brother and poorly aunt. It turns out that the town is being terrorised by Nazi officers who are randomly killing the towns residents and then doing shocking things with them beneath the radio tower that our soldiers are seeking to destroy.
The thing about Ovelord, for me, is that it never goes full on crazy with all the zombie experiment stuff that they show you in the trailers. Up until this moment in the town, and throughout the rest of the movie to a certain degree, Overlord is basically just a really solid war story in a similar vein to something like Saving Private Ryan. An intense opening, a journey across enemy territory by a team of soldiers, some scenes within a war-torn village. Time is dedicated to introducing and developing the characters and, even if the odd one is a little bit stereotypical, the whole thing feels very well done and hugely enjoyable. It's a fair while before you get any hint of anything more than that and when you do, it's not a complete From Dusk Till Dawn style flip either. It's not over the top and is in a similar tone and style to what's come up until that point. I felt that made it all the more believable, and even more terrifying.
The practical effects relating to the creatures the Nazi soldiers are creating are extremely effective and disturbing at times. They had the desired effect of either making me squirm in my seat, jump out of my skin or grin from ear to ear at how cool it all was! I absolutely loved this movie. Brutal, intensely enjoyable and with a satisfying ending. Loved it.
Darren (1599 KP) rated 10,000 Days (2014) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: 10,000 Days starts as we enter the world 27-years after a comet struck Earth putting the survivors into a permanent ice age, we follow two groups of survivors, once together now at war, William Beck (Schneider) on one side, Remy Farnwell (Wingfield) on the other.
As the Beck’s discover moments of truth about the disaster and a potential cure, Remy is playing his attack to take their base, the race against time for human survival is on.
Thoughts on 10,000 Days
Characters – William Beck runs one of the clans in the frozen land, he has kept his people safe, always searching for the next way to survive, hopefully peacefully even against his enemy, he knew the world before the disaster and now he wants to return to it. Remy Farnwell leads the rival clan, living on the ice he fell out with the Beck’s wanting revenge for the betrayal as he sees it. He doesn’t mind killing people in the battle which he has made too personal. We do have a lot of characters in this film, William has three sons that all look exactly the same, we have the scientist figures which seems to be three different female characters, a pilot who failed to stop the comet who still lives with the nightmare. We get so many characters it truly is hard to keep up or invest in any of them.
Performances – The performances, well this is difficult because nearly all the actors and characters look the same, it is difficult to figure out who the lead is, nobody has any sort of emotional factor or strong moments to stand out.
Story – The story is the end of the world happened, we are now in an ice age which could be coming to an end, but two war driven clans want control of the best location. This sounds interesting enough, you would be wrong, we have moments of discovery, moments of war, though this just never knows which one is the most important. Sadly, this only ends feeling boring, we don’t get invested in the characters and for some reason the film kind of just ends with a massive cliff hanger.
Sci-Fi – The world has ended and now an ice-age has hit, well that is the sci-fi side of the film.
Settings – The film give us generic location which include ice area or cold looking warehouse.
Special Effects – The effects here are just terrible and look completely fake.
Scene of the Movie – The concept should work.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The Effects.
Final Thoughts – This is a poor sci-fi movie that just doesn’t become interesting at any point in the film.
Overall: Boring throughout.
https://moviesreview101.com/2019/05/28/10000-days-2014/
As the Beck’s discover moments of truth about the disaster and a potential cure, Remy is playing his attack to take their base, the race against time for human survival is on.
Thoughts on 10,000 Days
Characters – William Beck runs one of the clans in the frozen land, he has kept his people safe, always searching for the next way to survive, hopefully peacefully even against his enemy, he knew the world before the disaster and now he wants to return to it. Remy Farnwell leads the rival clan, living on the ice he fell out with the Beck’s wanting revenge for the betrayal as he sees it. He doesn’t mind killing people in the battle which he has made too personal. We do have a lot of characters in this film, William has three sons that all look exactly the same, we have the scientist figures which seems to be three different female characters, a pilot who failed to stop the comet who still lives with the nightmare. We get so many characters it truly is hard to keep up or invest in any of them.
Performances – The performances, well this is difficult because nearly all the actors and characters look the same, it is difficult to figure out who the lead is, nobody has any sort of emotional factor or strong moments to stand out.
Story – The story is the end of the world happened, we are now in an ice age which could be coming to an end, but two war driven clans want control of the best location. This sounds interesting enough, you would be wrong, we have moments of discovery, moments of war, though this just never knows which one is the most important. Sadly, this only ends feeling boring, we don’t get invested in the characters and for some reason the film kind of just ends with a massive cliff hanger.
Sci-Fi – The world has ended and now an ice-age has hit, well that is the sci-fi side of the film.
Settings – The film give us generic location which include ice area or cold looking warehouse.
Special Effects – The effects here are just terrible and look completely fake.
Scene of the Movie – The concept should work.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The Effects.
Final Thoughts – This is a poor sci-fi movie that just doesn’t become interesting at any point in the film.
Overall: Boring throughout.
https://moviesreview101.com/2019/05/28/10000-days-2014/
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Elemental (Elemental, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
The first book in the <i>Elemental</i> trilogy is set in a futuristic United States colony where people called Guardians have powers over the elements: water, wind, earth, and fire. For years, sixteen-year-old Thomas believed that he doesn't have powers like everyone else in the colony, until pirates kidnap the Guardians and the remaining colonists fight for a survival on an abandoned town.
<b><i>Elemental</i> has its good elements that worked out well in favor, but it had some elements that just didn't work out too well</b> it just had more elements that didn't work out really well.
The book is <b>primarily a survival book, but there's a mysterious aura surrounding the book that kept it somewhat interesting. However, the mysterious aspect? Antony John overdid it.</b> You're immediately thrown into action when the book starts and it doesn't actually stop. A huge chunk of the beginning is dedicated to surviving from the pirates who kidnapped the guardians and Thomas and his friends trying to survive on this mysterious Skeleton Town.
<b>There's not much about this Plague the Guardians keep talking about or how their elements work what, precisely, is an echo?</b> It's obviously a side effect, and it seems to leave a negative remnant on the person, but what is it <i>exactly?</i>. <b>I'm confused on how this Plague works or how it started, even with that newspaper-esque clip</b> it sounds like an experiment gone absolutely awry and blew up not only in the experimenters' faces, but the entire world. No one appreciates an experiment gone awry inside and outside the lab, but the dead can't complain.
<b>There's this "solution" the pirates are looking for, but Antony jumps between Griffin and Thomas intermittently</b> I'm still not too sure who the "solution" is. <b>I'm not sure about this whole Guardians thing</b> sounds like an experiment similar to the one done to Captain America in a different style even with Thomas and his companions coming across things in Skeleton Town that make them question the origins of the Guardians.
<i>Elemental</i> is also <b>heading into highly awkward love triangle it's in absolute danger zone</b> and I'm not sure I want to stick around for two girls pining for Thomas' attention. It's not noticeable yet <b>it's very subtle and certainly doesn't disturb anything going on in the story or the overall plot.</b>
By the end, <b>Antony John leaves you with curiosity and perhaps a need to continue the series, but he leaves more questions and confusion with loose ends than a solid answer or two.</b>
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-elemental-by-antony-john/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<b><i>Elemental</i> has its good elements that worked out well in favor, but it had some elements that just didn't work out too well</b> it just had more elements that didn't work out really well.
The book is <b>primarily a survival book, but there's a mysterious aura surrounding the book that kept it somewhat interesting. However, the mysterious aspect? Antony John overdid it.</b> You're immediately thrown into action when the book starts and it doesn't actually stop. A huge chunk of the beginning is dedicated to surviving from the pirates who kidnapped the guardians and Thomas and his friends trying to survive on this mysterious Skeleton Town.
<b>There's not much about this Plague the Guardians keep talking about or how their elements work what, precisely, is an echo?</b> It's obviously a side effect, and it seems to leave a negative remnant on the person, but what is it <i>exactly?</i>. <b>I'm confused on how this Plague works or how it started, even with that newspaper-esque clip</b> it sounds like an experiment gone absolutely awry and blew up not only in the experimenters' faces, but the entire world. No one appreciates an experiment gone awry inside and outside the lab, but the dead can't complain.
<b>There's this "solution" the pirates are looking for, but Antony jumps between Griffin and Thomas intermittently</b> I'm still not too sure who the "solution" is. <b>I'm not sure about this whole Guardians thing</b> sounds like an experiment similar to the one done to Captain America in a different style even with Thomas and his companions coming across things in Skeleton Town that make them question the origins of the Guardians.
<i>Elemental</i> is also <b>heading into highly awkward love triangle it's in absolute danger zone</b> and I'm not sure I want to stick around for two girls pining for Thomas' attention. It's not noticeable yet <b>it's very subtle and certainly doesn't disturb anything going on in the story or the overall plot.</b>
By the end, <b>Antony John leaves you with curiosity and perhaps a need to continue the series, but he leaves more questions and confusion with loose ends than a solid answer or two.</b>
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-elemental-by-antony-john/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
JT (287 KP) rated Contraband (2012) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
This is an action film of epic underrated proportion, director Baltasar Kormákur, who was a producer on the original film Reykjavik-Rotterdam, gives us a good old fashioned heist where you root for the bad guys, or in this case the good guys.
When Chris Faraday (Whalberg) has to help out his brother-in-law Andy, after his attempts at smuggling in drugs for Giovanni Ribisi’s excellent villain go pear shaped, Faraday must go back to his criminal roots in order to save him and his family.
Do you feel lucky?
It certainly isn’t as slick as Ocean’s Eleven but it has a similar impact, in that you are desperate for these guys to succeed and pull off the job, and what a job it is! The heist or smuggle as you want to call it is as elaborate as anything that Danny Ocean himself could have put together, its all just a little rushed and certainly not all that conventional.
Whalberg’s crew, a band of misfits, all work on board a container ship heading to Panama where they will pick up a van and fill it with counterfeit bank notes, a plan which would seem simple enough. They’ve even gone to great lengths to make sure the ship stays in port long enough for them to get the job done.
Of course it doesn’t all go to plan, and in the mean time Briggs (Ribisi) is terrorizing Faraday’s wife Kate (Beckinsale) and his family. Andy still manages to try and pull off (and f*** up) his own job mid way through, and Faraday’s best friend Sebastian (Foster) has a little more about him that meets the eye.
The plot has a distinct Gone in 60 Seconds feel to it, with a relative coming to the aid of another family member which results in them racing against time to pay off the bad guys. The action is OK, an elaborate car chase and shootout is probably the most notable sequence, while the rest of the time we watch and wait as Faraday plans the heist.
I enjoyed this quite a lot, its a format that I find if done right works well which in this case it was. Ribisi was a standout for me, not just in his mannerisms as a psycho drug lord but his voice and look about him made me think he put some real effort into this role. Wahlberg is an action hero at the end of the day and here, he is out doing what he does best, Beckinsale is left out in the cold a bit but as a supporting role she does alright.
When Chris Faraday (Whalberg) has to help out his brother-in-law Andy, after his attempts at smuggling in drugs for Giovanni Ribisi’s excellent villain go pear shaped, Faraday must go back to his criminal roots in order to save him and his family.
Do you feel lucky?
It certainly isn’t as slick as Ocean’s Eleven but it has a similar impact, in that you are desperate for these guys to succeed and pull off the job, and what a job it is! The heist or smuggle as you want to call it is as elaborate as anything that Danny Ocean himself could have put together, its all just a little rushed and certainly not all that conventional.
Whalberg’s crew, a band of misfits, all work on board a container ship heading to Panama where they will pick up a van and fill it with counterfeit bank notes, a plan which would seem simple enough. They’ve even gone to great lengths to make sure the ship stays in port long enough for them to get the job done.
Of course it doesn’t all go to plan, and in the mean time Briggs (Ribisi) is terrorizing Faraday’s wife Kate (Beckinsale) and his family. Andy still manages to try and pull off (and f*** up) his own job mid way through, and Faraday’s best friend Sebastian (Foster) has a little more about him that meets the eye.
The plot has a distinct Gone in 60 Seconds feel to it, with a relative coming to the aid of another family member which results in them racing against time to pay off the bad guys. The action is OK, an elaborate car chase and shootout is probably the most notable sequence, while the rest of the time we watch and wait as Faraday plans the heist.
I enjoyed this quite a lot, its a format that I find if done right works well which in this case it was. Ribisi was a standout for me, not just in his mannerisms as a psycho drug lord but his voice and look about him made me think he put some real effort into this role. Wahlberg is an action hero at the end of the day and here, he is out doing what he does best, Beckinsale is left out in the cold a bit but as a supporting role she does alright.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Laggies (2014) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Laggies is a film that I walked into open minded and a little bit excited where they might take the storyline. As a millennial, I can relate to Keira Knightley’s character Megan as she is approaching 30 and she does not really have any clear direction in life. So when her boyfriend proposes, she freaks out and escapes for a week with her new 16 year old friend and her father. Believable, however rather than this film deciding to become something more akin to 2004’s Garden State, it instead abruptly turns in a “Hollywood” direction, badly.
While watching Laggies, I realized it has some pacing issues. At a 99 minute runtime it felt closer to two hours than a quick and entertaining story it should have been. While walking out the theater I thought that was the intent of the film and was a bit forgiving. Megan doesn’t exactly know where her life is going and neither do we. However as the days passed after watching this film, I realized these pacing issues made like this film less and less each day.
As the days passed, something else I realized was that Keira Knightley is not a leading lady. Her performance was boring, uninteresting and at times unlikable for a character that could have had layers, but did not. It made it hard to understand why she was doing the things that she was doing and why she ultimately comes to the conclusions she does. She seems like she is a 14 year old girl who “doesn’t talk” and we are supposed to look at her “British” smile and understand her without any acting to shed insight on her thoughts, which is actually annoying.
However her younger counter part, Chloe Grace Moretz (Kick Ass), shows yet again how she is a strong up and coming actress who has a good range already. She is believable as self-reflective and brooding 16 year old who is hoping and looking for something more for herself and her father played by Sam Rockwell (Moon). Rockwell reminds audiences yet again how solid an actor he is. He is actually the brightest star in this film as he steals every scene he is in and even manages to elevate Knightley to be likeable and attractive.
In the end, this film is not worth the full price of admission. It is more of a red box or film you may pause and watch when it comes on cable. Moretz and Rockwell are the bright spots of this film and fans of them may want to check this out, however Knightley is not a leading lady and this film suffers from her poor performance and an abruptly Hollywood script.
While watching Laggies, I realized it has some pacing issues. At a 99 minute runtime it felt closer to two hours than a quick and entertaining story it should have been. While walking out the theater I thought that was the intent of the film and was a bit forgiving. Megan doesn’t exactly know where her life is going and neither do we. However as the days passed after watching this film, I realized these pacing issues made like this film less and less each day.
As the days passed, something else I realized was that Keira Knightley is not a leading lady. Her performance was boring, uninteresting and at times unlikable for a character that could have had layers, but did not. It made it hard to understand why she was doing the things that she was doing and why she ultimately comes to the conclusions she does. She seems like she is a 14 year old girl who “doesn’t talk” and we are supposed to look at her “British” smile and understand her without any acting to shed insight on her thoughts, which is actually annoying.
However her younger counter part, Chloe Grace Moretz (Kick Ass), shows yet again how she is a strong up and coming actress who has a good range already. She is believable as self-reflective and brooding 16 year old who is hoping and looking for something more for herself and her father played by Sam Rockwell (Moon). Rockwell reminds audiences yet again how solid an actor he is. He is actually the brightest star in this film as he steals every scene he is in and even manages to elevate Knightley to be likeable and attractive.
In the end, this film is not worth the full price of admission. It is more of a red box or film you may pause and watch when it comes on cable. Moretz and Rockwell are the bright spots of this film and fans of them may want to check this out, however Knightley is not a leading lady and this film suffers from her poor performance and an abruptly Hollywood script.