Search
Search results
The Animator’s Survival Kit
Reference and Education
App
World-renowned animator and triple-Oscar-winner Richard Williams presents ‘The Animator’s...
eboutic.ch
Lifestyle and Shopping
App
Faites votre shopping en deux clics avec l’App eboutic.ch. Nous vous proposons les plus grandes...
Imperial: War of Tomorrow
Games
App
Welcome to the military world following a global apocalypse that splintered the map into factions...
Sweet Baby Girl Halloween Fun - Spooky Makeover & Dress Up Party
Games and Education
App
Halloween is coming! Play with Sweet Baby Girl and have the most adventurous Halloween celebration...
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Amsterdam (2022) in Movies
Nov 21, 2022
Weak First Half Gives Way To Strong Second Half
There are certain Directors working today that gain such a reputation that most Major Movie Stars clamor to be in their films - no matter how big (or small) their part is. Quentin Tarantino, Wes Anderson and Christopher Nolan all come to mind. And, for some reason, David O. Russell is in that camp as well.
The latest film from this cinematic auteur, AMSTERDAM, is jam-packed with stars from Christian Bale to John David Washington to Margot Robbie, Robert DeNiro, Zoe Saldana, Rami Malek, Andrea Riseborough, Chris Rock, Michael Shannon, Michael Myers, Timothy Olyphant, Any-Taylor Joy and even Taylor Swift show up to play part in this drama/thriller/comedy that takes a real life event and gives it the David O. Russell touch.
And…what is the David O. Russell touch? It is - for better or for worse - a skewed perspective of the goings-on in the film, commenting on the action while driving a narrative forward. On the one hand, he is liked by many actors for he let’s them improvise and work through their performances. However, on the other hand, if he is not getting what he wants, he is also known as a antagonistic Director as he has had on-set feuds with George Clooney, Lilly Tomlin and Amy Adams. But…on the other hand…he has been nominated for Best Director 3x and quite a few of his actors (Bale, Adams, Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, etc.) have been nominated for an Oscar.
For AMSTERDAM the film’s tone and intention meander for the 1st half of the movie - as do the performances - before settling into a crackerjack thriller/murder-mystery/espionage film.
And that’s too bad for many will be turned off by the 1st half - the meandering is detrimental to the audience’s enjoyment - it feels like a series of “acting scenes” and not a coherent grouping of scenarios leading to a plot. This will turn many off - and will have them turning off the film - before it settles down and becomes good.
As is often the case with Russell’s films, the performances are good (Washington), better (Robbie) and best (Bale, channelling his inner Peter Faulk) while the other actors support the 3 leads in surprising ways. If nothing else, see this movie to watch all of these wonderful performers plying their craft. Of course, you’ll be saying to yourself “that’s wonderfully acted” for you won’t be immersed into the people, emotions or the plot at the beginning.
And that is Russell’s issue. If he could have settled on the tone and focus of the 2nd half of the film in the first half, he’d have himself another Oscar contending film. But, as it were, it’s an interesting curiosity - one that will have you entertained for a few hours, but will leave you scratching your head longing for “what could have been”.
Letter Grade: B (“C” for the first half, “A” for the 2nd half)
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
The latest film from this cinematic auteur, AMSTERDAM, is jam-packed with stars from Christian Bale to John David Washington to Margot Robbie, Robert DeNiro, Zoe Saldana, Rami Malek, Andrea Riseborough, Chris Rock, Michael Shannon, Michael Myers, Timothy Olyphant, Any-Taylor Joy and even Taylor Swift show up to play part in this drama/thriller/comedy that takes a real life event and gives it the David O. Russell touch.
And…what is the David O. Russell touch? It is - for better or for worse - a skewed perspective of the goings-on in the film, commenting on the action while driving a narrative forward. On the one hand, he is liked by many actors for he let’s them improvise and work through their performances. However, on the other hand, if he is not getting what he wants, he is also known as a antagonistic Director as he has had on-set feuds with George Clooney, Lilly Tomlin and Amy Adams. But…on the other hand…he has been nominated for Best Director 3x and quite a few of his actors (Bale, Adams, Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, etc.) have been nominated for an Oscar.
For AMSTERDAM the film’s tone and intention meander for the 1st half of the movie - as do the performances - before settling into a crackerjack thriller/murder-mystery/espionage film.
And that’s too bad for many will be turned off by the 1st half - the meandering is detrimental to the audience’s enjoyment - it feels like a series of “acting scenes” and not a coherent grouping of scenarios leading to a plot. This will turn many off - and will have them turning off the film - before it settles down and becomes good.
As is often the case with Russell’s films, the performances are good (Washington), better (Robbie) and best (Bale, channelling his inner Peter Faulk) while the other actors support the 3 leads in surprising ways. If nothing else, see this movie to watch all of these wonderful performers plying their craft. Of course, you’ll be saying to yourself “that’s wonderfully acted” for you won’t be immersed into the people, emotions or the plot at the beginning.
And that is Russell’s issue. If he could have settled on the tone and focus of the 2nd half of the film in the first half, he’d have himself another Oscar contending film. But, as it were, it’s an interesting curiosity - one that will have you entertained for a few hours, but will leave you scratching your head longing for “what could have been”.
Letter Grade: B (“C” for the first half, “A” for the 2nd half)
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) in Movies
Nov 16, 2021
Back in 1984 when big hair and neon were the norms; a movie appeared that soon became a cultural phenomenon. The movie involved a team of unlikely Paranormal Investigators and the mix of comedy, FX, and Ghosts turned the movie into a smash hit and a Pop Culture mainstay. The abundance of products that followed and the inescapable theme song and tagline soon gave rise to a sequel which while a success; did not resonate the way the original film had and thus the “Ghostbusters” film franchise became dormant.
While a successful video game and merchandise line kept the franchise alive; the 2016 reboot with an all-female team failed to capture the magic at the box office and again put the franchise’s cinematic future in question.
Thankfully after several delays due to the Covid 19 Pandemic; “Ghostbusters Afterlife” has arrived and is the worthy sequel that does justice to the original film and sets the stage well for future cinematic exploits.
The film follows a down on her luck mother named Callie )Carrie Coon) and her children Trevor (Finn Wolfhard); and Phoebe (Mckenna Grace), as they are forced to move to a dilapidated farm in rural Oklahoma following the passing of Callie’s estranged father and her subsequent eviction.
A series of unexplained earthquakes clues the smart and precocious Phoebe that something is up and with her new friend Podcast (Logan Kim), and teacher Mr. Grooberson (Paul Rudd); help her uncover her connection to the original Ghostbusters and the abundance and significance of the gear that her Grandfather has left on the farm.
Things soon take a turn for the worse and despite skeptical locals and the emerging danger, Phoebe, Trevor, and their friends have to battle the forces of evil to save the world.
The movie takes its time getting to the action and spends plenty of time establishing the characters, their motivations, and their relationships with one another. There are abundant homages to the original film; some of which are very subtle and clever but never seem gratuitous or tacked on.
The film also does not rely on the FX to tell the tale as while there are some solid effects in the film; this is a character-driven tale and the new cast works well with some surprise guests who pop up throughout the film.
Director Jason Reitman; son of the Director of the original film; clearly knows and loves the material as he not only helped craft the story but deftly weaves a new tale into the franchise which also fits well with the first film and does not attempt to reboot but rather continue the franchise.
There are two extra scenes in the credits that you will not want to miss as not only are they great fun; but also tease of future adventures to come.
The film also has a few touching moments that caused some unexpected emotion from the audience at our Press Screening and helped establish “Ghostbusters Afterlife” as not only a winning entry into the series but also one of the most enjoyable films of the year.
4.5 stars out of 5.
While a successful video game and merchandise line kept the franchise alive; the 2016 reboot with an all-female team failed to capture the magic at the box office and again put the franchise’s cinematic future in question.
Thankfully after several delays due to the Covid 19 Pandemic; “Ghostbusters Afterlife” has arrived and is the worthy sequel that does justice to the original film and sets the stage well for future cinematic exploits.
The film follows a down on her luck mother named Callie )Carrie Coon) and her children Trevor (Finn Wolfhard); and Phoebe (Mckenna Grace), as they are forced to move to a dilapidated farm in rural Oklahoma following the passing of Callie’s estranged father and her subsequent eviction.
A series of unexplained earthquakes clues the smart and precocious Phoebe that something is up and with her new friend Podcast (Logan Kim), and teacher Mr. Grooberson (Paul Rudd); help her uncover her connection to the original Ghostbusters and the abundance and significance of the gear that her Grandfather has left on the farm.
Things soon take a turn for the worse and despite skeptical locals and the emerging danger, Phoebe, Trevor, and their friends have to battle the forces of evil to save the world.
The movie takes its time getting to the action and spends plenty of time establishing the characters, their motivations, and their relationships with one another. There are abundant homages to the original film; some of which are very subtle and clever but never seem gratuitous or tacked on.
The film also does not rely on the FX to tell the tale as while there are some solid effects in the film; this is a character-driven tale and the new cast works well with some surprise guests who pop up throughout the film.
Director Jason Reitman; son of the Director of the original film; clearly knows and loves the material as he not only helped craft the story but deftly weaves a new tale into the franchise which also fits well with the first film and does not attempt to reboot but rather continue the franchise.
There are two extra scenes in the credits that you will not want to miss as not only are they great fun; but also tease of future adventures to come.
The film also has a few touching moments that caused some unexpected emotion from the audience at our Press Screening and helped establish “Ghostbusters Afterlife” as not only a winning entry into the series but also one of the most enjoyable films of the year.
4.5 stars out of 5.
Life on the Mississippi
5.0
Rate It
Book
The eagerly awaited return of master American storyteller Rinker Buck, Life on the Mississippi is an...
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Cthulhu's Vault in Tabletop Games
Nov 9, 2021
As a kid, one thing my siblings and I used to do was play a storytelling game in which we created a (usually) hilarious story, one word at a time. You know the kind. One person starts the sentence with a single word, the next person in line adds a word, and so on, resulting in some ridiculous storyline that ultimately makes little overall sense. So when I heard about Cthulhu’s Vault, a game with a storytelling aspect, I was keen to try it! Even though the subject matter is obviously a little darker, does the overall game live up to my childhood memories of creating stories?
Cthulhu’s Vault is a card game in which players are working together to craft an occult story, which will ultimately lead to a final battle with one of the Ancient Ones. To setup the game, each player receives an Ancient One card (kept face-down), 7 Story cards, and 2 Power tokens (one Investigator and one Cultist). Power tokens are kept face-down and are secret from other players. The remaining Power tokens are placed into two pools – either face-up or face-down as described in the rules – and a starting Story card is drawn and placed in the middle of the play area. The Power Guide card is placed off to the side, visible to players, and shows the amount of Cultist Power necessary to awaken your Ancient One during play. Select a starting player, and the game is ready to begin!
The game is broken down into two phases: the Mystery Stage and the Epic Battle Stage. The Mystery Stage begins the game, and consists of the storytelling element. On your turn, you will select a Story card from your hand and play it to the table. Here’s the catch – all players are trying to create a cohesive storyline, so you are encouraged to narrate and chain together a single story with the addition of each new Story card. After you play your Story card and tell your brief addition to the tale, you will collect a number of Power tokens as described on your played Story card, receiving Bonus tokens if applicable. The Mystery Stage continues in this fashion until a player has acquired the requisite number of Cultist Power tokens necessary to awaken their Ancient One. At the start of that turn, the player will reveal their Ancient One, and the Mystery Stage ends immediately.
Moving on to the Epic Battle Stage, there is a small bit of setup. All remaining Story cards are discarded, and Investigator cards are displayed. The player who awoke their Ancient One collects a number of Power tokens equal to the health of their creature, gathers/shuffles the Ancient One Combat Deck, and draws a hand of 3 Combat cards. All remaining players will select an Investigator to play, in order, depending on the total number of Investigator Power tokens gained during the Mystery Stage. Players will discard down to/collect a number of Power tokens to match the health of their Investigator, shuffle the Investigator Combat Deck, and draw a number of cards as dictated by their Investigator card. A Battle Order deck is created and shuffled, and will dictate the order of actions during each Epic Battle turn. The Epic Battle Stage is now ready to begin.
During the Epic Battle, a card from the Battle Order deck is revealed – either an Investigator or the Ancient One. The corresponding player will then act, playing a card from their hand, performing the action (usually Wounding the opponent), and then drawing back up to their hand limit. Play continues in this way until either the Ancient One is defeated (all Health depleted), or all the Investigators are devoured by the Ancient One. If the Ancient One is defeated, the Investigators have won! And if the Ancient One has eliminated all the Investigators, then that player wins. Either way, whomever wins is encouraged to come up with a brief epilogue to bring the overall story to an end.
So all in all, how does Cthulhu’s Vault fare? Honestly, not too great. Let’s start with the rulebook. It has some areas of serious ambiguity and confusion, which made this game kind of tough and frustrating for me to learn at first. Now that I think I’ve got it figured out, it’s ok, but that first read-through was rough. Now getting down to the actual gameplay. I can appreciate what the game is trying to do – have players create a story and then engage in their narrated battle – but the two phases of the game seem very disjointed to me. It kind of feels like you are playing 2 separate games in one. You get to have some creative fun making up a spooky story, which is then swiftly forgotten as combat ensues. There is little to no connection between the two phases, and that lack of connection makes the storytelling phase seem obsolete.
Another thing to consider when checking this game out is the group of people with whom you will play. To really get a fun, immersive story going, all players need to be willing to embrace the storytelling aspect, and get into the narrative. Requiring that type of creativity on the spot can make some players uncomfortable, and they just might not enjoy that element of the game. Let’s touch on components for a minute. I think that for the most part, the production quality is fine! The Story, Investigator, and Ancient One cards are all oversized, sturdy, and feature some neat spooky art and flavor text. The Combat cards are normal sized, and for the most part clear in their text/actions. The Power tokens are small wooden discs, and are fun to play with. The version I have is in a tin, not a cardboard box, and the tin is nice and sturdy too. Overall, good quality game.
In theory, I think Cthulhu’s Vault is a neat game. The actual execution of the gameplay doesn’t quite hit the mark for me though. The lack of connection between the two phases of the game really detracts from the overall immersion. If there were a stronger connection, perhaps I would like it more, but as it stands, it just feels like 2 separate games in one box. If you’re into storytelling games, I would consider Cthulhu’s Vault because it does provide a neat opportunity for players to craft a unified story. But the shift to the combat phase feels sudden and unrelated. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a fiendish 5 / 12.
Cthulhu’s Vault is a card game in which players are working together to craft an occult story, which will ultimately lead to a final battle with one of the Ancient Ones. To setup the game, each player receives an Ancient One card (kept face-down), 7 Story cards, and 2 Power tokens (one Investigator and one Cultist). Power tokens are kept face-down and are secret from other players. The remaining Power tokens are placed into two pools – either face-up or face-down as described in the rules – and a starting Story card is drawn and placed in the middle of the play area. The Power Guide card is placed off to the side, visible to players, and shows the amount of Cultist Power necessary to awaken your Ancient One during play. Select a starting player, and the game is ready to begin!
The game is broken down into two phases: the Mystery Stage and the Epic Battle Stage. The Mystery Stage begins the game, and consists of the storytelling element. On your turn, you will select a Story card from your hand and play it to the table. Here’s the catch – all players are trying to create a cohesive storyline, so you are encouraged to narrate and chain together a single story with the addition of each new Story card. After you play your Story card and tell your brief addition to the tale, you will collect a number of Power tokens as described on your played Story card, receiving Bonus tokens if applicable. The Mystery Stage continues in this fashion until a player has acquired the requisite number of Cultist Power tokens necessary to awaken their Ancient One. At the start of that turn, the player will reveal their Ancient One, and the Mystery Stage ends immediately.
Moving on to the Epic Battle Stage, there is a small bit of setup. All remaining Story cards are discarded, and Investigator cards are displayed. The player who awoke their Ancient One collects a number of Power tokens equal to the health of their creature, gathers/shuffles the Ancient One Combat Deck, and draws a hand of 3 Combat cards. All remaining players will select an Investigator to play, in order, depending on the total number of Investigator Power tokens gained during the Mystery Stage. Players will discard down to/collect a number of Power tokens to match the health of their Investigator, shuffle the Investigator Combat Deck, and draw a number of cards as dictated by their Investigator card. A Battle Order deck is created and shuffled, and will dictate the order of actions during each Epic Battle turn. The Epic Battle Stage is now ready to begin.
During the Epic Battle, a card from the Battle Order deck is revealed – either an Investigator or the Ancient One. The corresponding player will then act, playing a card from their hand, performing the action (usually Wounding the opponent), and then drawing back up to their hand limit. Play continues in this way until either the Ancient One is defeated (all Health depleted), or all the Investigators are devoured by the Ancient One. If the Ancient One is defeated, the Investigators have won! And if the Ancient One has eliminated all the Investigators, then that player wins. Either way, whomever wins is encouraged to come up with a brief epilogue to bring the overall story to an end.
So all in all, how does Cthulhu’s Vault fare? Honestly, not too great. Let’s start with the rulebook. It has some areas of serious ambiguity and confusion, which made this game kind of tough and frustrating for me to learn at first. Now that I think I’ve got it figured out, it’s ok, but that first read-through was rough. Now getting down to the actual gameplay. I can appreciate what the game is trying to do – have players create a story and then engage in their narrated battle – but the two phases of the game seem very disjointed to me. It kind of feels like you are playing 2 separate games in one. You get to have some creative fun making up a spooky story, which is then swiftly forgotten as combat ensues. There is little to no connection between the two phases, and that lack of connection makes the storytelling phase seem obsolete.
Another thing to consider when checking this game out is the group of people with whom you will play. To really get a fun, immersive story going, all players need to be willing to embrace the storytelling aspect, and get into the narrative. Requiring that type of creativity on the spot can make some players uncomfortable, and they just might not enjoy that element of the game. Let’s touch on components for a minute. I think that for the most part, the production quality is fine! The Story, Investigator, and Ancient One cards are all oversized, sturdy, and feature some neat spooky art and flavor text. The Combat cards are normal sized, and for the most part clear in their text/actions. The Power tokens are small wooden discs, and are fun to play with. The version I have is in a tin, not a cardboard box, and the tin is nice and sturdy too. Overall, good quality game.
In theory, I think Cthulhu’s Vault is a neat game. The actual execution of the gameplay doesn’t quite hit the mark for me though. The lack of connection between the two phases of the game really detracts from the overall immersion. If there were a stronger connection, perhaps I would like it more, but as it stands, it just feels like 2 separate games in one box. If you’re into storytelling games, I would consider Cthulhu’s Vault because it does provide a neat opportunity for players to craft a unified story. But the shift to the combat phase feels sudden and unrelated. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a fiendish 5 / 12.
Eilidh G Clark (177 KP) rated A Portable Shelter in Books
May 13, 2017
‘…there’s no other way to give you the truth except to hide it in a story and let you find your own way inside.’
‘…there’s no other way to give you the truth except to hide it in a story and let you find your own way inside.’
Kirsty Logan’s first collection of short stories, The Rental Heart and Other Fairytales, published by Salt in 2014, won the Polari First Book Prize in 2015. A Portable Shelter is her second collection. Set in a small cottage in the rural north coast of Scotland, Ruth and Liska are expecting their first child. The couple believe that their unborn baby will have a better chance of survival away from the harshness of suburban life. They make a pact with one another, that they will only ever tell their child the truth. Yet while Liska is asleep or Ruth is at work, each whispers secret stories to their unborn child. Delving into fantastical tales about people from their past and re-telling stories that span from generation to generation, the couple unfold the horrors of the real world. Whilst these tales, laced in myth and legend, and fattened with the magic of the imagination, demonstrate the art of oral storytelling, Logan reaches further to show the reader why storytelling is important.
While this book is primarily a collection of short stories, its novel like structure frames each story with a preceding monologue from either Ruth or Liska. The monologues offer delightful morsels of description that bring the harshness of Mother Nature into the safety of the couple’s bedroom, “right now our home is speaking to you. The walls creak their approval in the wind. The rain applauds on the roof. The lighthouse beam swoops, swoops, swoops. The tide breathes loud and slow like a giant. If you listen carefully, perhaps you can even hear the moon hum.” The pace of these sentences, combined with the delicacy of language demonstrates Logan’s skill at describing the sublime spirit of the natural world, which brings the narrative to life.
Most impressive though, is Logan’s poetic language and carefully crafted sentences which create the most beautiful imagery. In ‘Flinch,’ for example – James is a fisherman struggling with his identity, yet his affiliation with the land is locked into his first-person point of view where the reader gets to closely experience what he sees, “The sky is pinkish-grey like the insides of shells. Speckled bonxies wheel overhead. Seals loll on the rocks, fat as kings. The rising mist is cool and milky.” Any of these lines could easily be arranged into a poem and with sentences that are squeezed tight; they create a wonderful poetic rhythm. Logan uses this technique throughout her novel, demonstrating the precision and craft in her work. There are definite similarities in her writing style to fellow Scottish novelist and poet Jenni Fagan. Both authors use rich language, which is well crafted and smattered with vernacular. Furthermore, combining this with the reoccurring theme of identity, the oral storytelling tradition, landscape, folklore, and myth, it is clear to see why these authors contribute to the growing canon in Scottish literature.
This is a book that I will read over and over again because I know that in each reading, I will find something new. A Portable Shelter, I feel, deserves a place on my ‘keep’ book shelf.
A Portable Shelter, Kirsty Logan, London: Vintage, 2015
Kirsty Logan’s first collection of short stories, The Rental Heart and Other Fairytales, published by Salt in 2014, won the Polari First Book Prize in 2015. A Portable Shelter is her second collection. Set in a small cottage in the rural north coast of Scotland, Ruth and Liska are expecting their first child. The couple believe that their unborn baby will have a better chance of survival away from the harshness of suburban life. They make a pact with one another, that they will only ever tell their child the truth. Yet while Liska is asleep or Ruth is at work, each whispers secret stories to their unborn child. Delving into fantastical tales about people from their past and re-telling stories that span from generation to generation, the couple unfold the horrors of the real world. Whilst these tales, laced in myth and legend, and fattened with the magic of the imagination, demonstrate the art of oral storytelling, Logan reaches further to show the reader why storytelling is important.
While this book is primarily a collection of short stories, its novel like structure frames each story with a preceding monologue from either Ruth or Liska. The monologues offer delightful morsels of description that bring the harshness of Mother Nature into the safety of the couple’s bedroom, “right now our home is speaking to you. The walls creak their approval in the wind. The rain applauds on the roof. The lighthouse beam swoops, swoops, swoops. The tide breathes loud and slow like a giant. If you listen carefully, perhaps you can even hear the moon hum.” The pace of these sentences, combined with the delicacy of language demonstrates Logan’s skill at describing the sublime spirit of the natural world, which brings the narrative to life.
Most impressive though, is Logan’s poetic language and carefully crafted sentences which create the most beautiful imagery. In ‘Flinch,’ for example – James is a fisherman struggling with his identity, yet his affiliation with the land is locked into his first-person point of view where the reader gets to closely experience what he sees, “The sky is pinkish-grey like the insides of shells. Speckled bonxies wheel overhead. Seals loll on the rocks, fat as kings. The rising mist is cool and milky.” Any of these lines could easily be arranged into a poem and with sentences that are squeezed tight; they create a wonderful poetic rhythm. Logan uses this technique throughout her novel, demonstrating the precision and craft in her work. There are definite similarities in her writing style to fellow Scottish novelist and poet Jenni Fagan. Both authors use rich language, which is well crafted and smattered with vernacular. Furthermore, combining this with the reoccurring theme of identity, the oral storytelling tradition, landscape, folklore, and myth, it is clear to see why these authors contribute to the growing canon in Scottish literature.
This is a book that I will read over and over again because I know that in each reading, I will find something new. A Portable Shelter, I feel, deserves a place on my ‘keep’ book shelf.
A Portable Shelter, Kirsty Logan, London: Vintage, 2015
Debbiereadsbook (1472 KP) rated Retribution (The Protectors #3) in Books
Apr 15, 2019
My fav of the three so far!
*verified Audible purchase June 2017*
This is book three in the Protectors series. You don’t NEED to have read/listened to books one and two, but I think you SHOULD. It will give you a better picture of this group of people and what they do, and how Hawke came to at the head. And you know, FIVE star listens, people!
For ten years, Hawke has been searching for the men who killed his wife and unborn son. Meeting Tate makes him feel again, something he didn’t think was possible. He certainly never thought it possible he would feel for a MAN.
I loved books one and two, and I loved this one too! I again cannot split the narration from the story, so not even gonna try. So I apologise if this review jumps around a bit!
Hawke loved his wife, bone deep, and when she was murdered, it broke. He’s spent the last ten years as head of an organisation that delivers justice to those let down by the law. The revenge for his wife’s death is a long time coming but he’s getting close and Tate is his link. His reaction to Tate is . . . unexpected. And when Hawke realises why Tate is running, his protectiveness goes into overdrive.
It’s no secret I’m not a fan of READING first person books, particularly if they are multi person but I find I’m really enjoying LISTENING to first person books, ESPECIALLY if they are multi point of view! Joel Leslie is a MASTER at his craft, at narrating multi point of view, in the first person! I simply CANNOT fault the narration. The way Leslie gets every single heart wrenching thought that Hawke has: thinking about his wife, ad what his growing feelings for Tate mean. Every fear that Tate has: that his father will find him, that Hawke might hurt him, that he might lose his little boy. This is not a short listen, over 8 hours and I listened to it in one single siting. I tried to stop, I really did but I needed to know what would happen, how this would play out. It takes a single question from Ronan (Salvation, book 2) to break Hawke. The same question broke me too! And I sobbed at that point, great heart wrenching sobs at the emotion that Leslie pours out of Hawke.
Of course, Leslie can only narrate the words given him, but Kennedy is fast becoming a favourite of mine. The way she intertwines multi level stories, from book to book, is amazing. Sometimes, series lose their . . .what’s the word . . .ethos, as it moves along but not so here. They hold true to their meaning, and I cannot wait to see where this series goes.
I LOVE that I have 9 more books to get through BUT I’ve discovered that Michael Pauley narrates book 4, Forsaken, and I’m not sure how I feel about that! I’ll buy it, without a doubt, but it will be interesting to see how Pauley portrays the voices that Leslie has done up to now.
So, because I can’t split the narration, because I listened in one day, and just bloody I can . . .
5 stars for the book
5 stars for the narration
5 stars overall
This is book three in the Protectors series. You don’t NEED to have read/listened to books one and two, but I think you SHOULD. It will give you a better picture of this group of people and what they do, and how Hawke came to at the head. And you know, FIVE star listens, people!
For ten years, Hawke has been searching for the men who killed his wife and unborn son. Meeting Tate makes him feel again, something he didn’t think was possible. He certainly never thought it possible he would feel for a MAN.
I loved books one and two, and I loved this one too! I again cannot split the narration from the story, so not even gonna try. So I apologise if this review jumps around a bit!
Hawke loved his wife, bone deep, and when she was murdered, it broke. He’s spent the last ten years as head of an organisation that delivers justice to those let down by the law. The revenge for his wife’s death is a long time coming but he’s getting close and Tate is his link. His reaction to Tate is . . . unexpected. And when Hawke realises why Tate is running, his protectiveness goes into overdrive.
It’s no secret I’m not a fan of READING first person books, particularly if they are multi person but I find I’m really enjoying LISTENING to first person books, ESPECIALLY if they are multi point of view! Joel Leslie is a MASTER at his craft, at narrating multi point of view, in the first person! I simply CANNOT fault the narration. The way Leslie gets every single heart wrenching thought that Hawke has: thinking about his wife, ad what his growing feelings for Tate mean. Every fear that Tate has: that his father will find him, that Hawke might hurt him, that he might lose his little boy. This is not a short listen, over 8 hours and I listened to it in one single siting. I tried to stop, I really did but I needed to know what would happen, how this would play out. It takes a single question from Ronan (Salvation, book 2) to break Hawke. The same question broke me too! And I sobbed at that point, great heart wrenching sobs at the emotion that Leslie pours out of Hawke.
Of course, Leslie can only narrate the words given him, but Kennedy is fast becoming a favourite of mine. The way she intertwines multi level stories, from book to book, is amazing. Sometimes, series lose their . . .what’s the word . . .ethos, as it moves along but not so here. They hold true to their meaning, and I cannot wait to see where this series goes.
I LOVE that I have 9 more books to get through BUT I’ve discovered that Michael Pauley narrates book 4, Forsaken, and I’m not sure how I feel about that! I’ll buy it, without a doubt, but it will be interesting to see how Pauley portrays the voices that Leslie has done up to now.
So, because I can’t split the narration, because I listened in one day, and just bloody I can . . .
5 stars for the book
5 stars for the narration
5 stars overall