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Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Beyond the Red Mountains in Books
Nov 8, 2019
Kelvin has lived all his life in the city of Triopolis, a peaceful place between the mountains and the sea. After all there are no other towns or civilisations on the planet, not since the Dark Days when everything changed.
Kelvin's first clue that all might not be as he has been taught when he discovers an old book warning about a mysterious figure called Luther who seems to have been carefully erased from the history of Triopolis. And it is clear that he is not the only one who is aware of secrets.
Elizabeth is the princess of Westville, the centre of a civilisation that has conquered every other city in the world - there are not many. She is locked in a loveless and arranged marriage but is determined to find some way out.
When fate brings Kelvin and Elizabeth together they realise there is a lot more going on than the elders of either city would have them believe. Before long they are on the run, desperately trying to save themselves and their cities from dark forces. They have allies and enemies, but telling one from the other is only half the battle...
Beyond the Red Mountains is a fantasy novel that is of epic proportions but avoids all the tropes and cliches of 'epic' fantasy. There isn't really a great quest, there isn't a dark lord threatening all of existence. All of the characters seem very real and all have their own reasons for their actions, whether these are with or against the main protagonists.
There are many twists and turns and the story doesn't let itself get too bogged down in long conversations or descriptions, letting the story unfold to reveal the narrative and the history. Not every decision Kelvin and Elizabeth make is the right one, but it is always made with the best intentions. The characterisation really does stand out, with a lot of care taken to make the characters believable. I was particularly struck by one of the characters who are opposed to Kelvin and Elizabeth but the reader ends up feeling enormous sympathy for.
There is a (perhaps inevitable) romantic connection between Kelvin and Elizabeth but this is well played and unfolds very realistically and is never overplayed or overstated. Some of the keepers of ancient wisdom they meet are perhaps a little to forthcoming about forbidden knowledge but this means the story doesn't slow but can take the next step so this can be forgiven.
The prose is very simple, clearly aimed at a young adult audience, although some of the themes and scenes are perhaps not for the very young end of the spectrum. As an introduction to lengthy fantasy tales this works very well though. The ending is a real cliff hanger and definitely makes me want to read the sequel.
There were a few more spelling mistakes and incorrect (or plain missing) words in the eBook version I read but this wasn't really a problem, it was always clear what was intended.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted to tackle a human-scale epic fantasy novel with a difference, one that cared about all of its characters, even the ones nominally pitched against the 'heroes'.
Kelvin's first clue that all might not be as he has been taught when he discovers an old book warning about a mysterious figure called Luther who seems to have been carefully erased from the history of Triopolis. And it is clear that he is not the only one who is aware of secrets.
Elizabeth is the princess of Westville, the centre of a civilisation that has conquered every other city in the world - there are not many. She is locked in a loveless and arranged marriage but is determined to find some way out.
When fate brings Kelvin and Elizabeth together they realise there is a lot more going on than the elders of either city would have them believe. Before long they are on the run, desperately trying to save themselves and their cities from dark forces. They have allies and enemies, but telling one from the other is only half the battle...
Beyond the Red Mountains is a fantasy novel that is of epic proportions but avoids all the tropes and cliches of 'epic' fantasy. There isn't really a great quest, there isn't a dark lord threatening all of existence. All of the characters seem very real and all have their own reasons for their actions, whether these are with or against the main protagonists.
There are many twists and turns and the story doesn't let itself get too bogged down in long conversations or descriptions, letting the story unfold to reveal the narrative and the history. Not every decision Kelvin and Elizabeth make is the right one, but it is always made with the best intentions. The characterisation really does stand out, with a lot of care taken to make the characters believable. I was particularly struck by one of the characters who are opposed to Kelvin and Elizabeth but the reader ends up feeling enormous sympathy for.
There is a (perhaps inevitable) romantic connection between Kelvin and Elizabeth but this is well played and unfolds very realistically and is never overplayed or overstated. Some of the keepers of ancient wisdom they meet are perhaps a little to forthcoming about forbidden knowledge but this means the story doesn't slow but can take the next step so this can be forgiven.
The prose is very simple, clearly aimed at a young adult audience, although some of the themes and scenes are perhaps not for the very young end of the spectrum. As an introduction to lengthy fantasy tales this works very well though. The ending is a real cliff hanger and definitely makes me want to read the sequel.
There were a few more spelling mistakes and incorrect (or plain missing) words in the eBook version I read but this wasn't really a problem, it was always clear what was intended.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted to tackle a human-scale epic fantasy novel with a difference, one that cared about all of its characters, even the ones nominally pitched against the 'heroes'.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2322 KP) rated The Dark Talent (Alcatraz, #5) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
The Librarian army has just devastated Mokia, and Alcatraz, having recently given up the throne, is looking for a way to save his friend Bastille and keep his father from unleashing Smedry talents on the entire world, thereby destroying it. He hits upon the idea of infiltrating the biggest Librarian stronghold – the Highbrary, better known to the rest of us as the Library of Congress. Can he and his family do it without their Smedry talents?
If you are confused by the above, this is the fifth in a middle grade fantasy series. It had been several years since I read the last one, and enough background is given to remind me about this world, but if you are new, I recommend you start from the beginning. As I was expecting, there are lots of laughs and some twists. What I wasn’t expecting was a rather dark climax that felt abrupt. At the very, very end of the book there is a clue that this might not be the end of the story. I hope that’s the case because otherwise, for a book that was supposed to be the final book in the series, it is very disappointing.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2018/03/book-review-dark-talent-by-brandon.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
If you are confused by the above, this is the fifth in a middle grade fantasy series. It had been several years since I read the last one, and enough background is given to remind me about this world, but if you are new, I recommend you start from the beginning. As I was expecting, there are lots of laughs and some twists. What I wasn’t expecting was a rather dark climax that felt abrupt. At the very, very end of the book there is a clue that this might not be the end of the story. I hope that’s the case because otherwise, for a book that was supposed to be the final book in the series, it is very disappointing.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2018/03/book-review-dark-talent-by-brandon.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
The Raven (Florentine series Book 1)
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
May 27, 2021
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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated The Hazel Wood in Books
Mar 2, 2018
A little too over the top
I think I completely lost the plot trying to follow this fairytale within a fairytale. A modern day version of a Brothers Grimm-style folklore, the story follows Alice, who is trying to find her missing mother, and discovers that all is not what it seems.
The main thrust of the novel asks whether Alice is a character in a tale herself? And if she can escape her fate by running away from her story. And while I can appreciate the author's creativity, there's very little character development and there appears to be a fair few loose ends. The prose is heavy in metaphors to the point that the first half seemed far too long.
While many have described the book as a dark and creepy fantasy, I think it may have been a little overhyped - it's more of a weird version of Alice in Wonderland. Interesting, but not for me.
The main thrust of the novel asks whether Alice is a character in a tale herself? And if she can escape her fate by running away from her story. And while I can appreciate the author's creativity, there's very little character development and there appears to be a fair few loose ends. The prose is heavy in metaphors to the point that the first half seemed far too long.
While many have described the book as a dark and creepy fantasy, I think it may have been a little overhyped - it's more of a weird version of Alice in Wonderland. Interesting, but not for me.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Batman (1989) in Movies
Feb 25, 2018
Tim Burton's landmark superhero adaptation was an unavoidable media juggernaut on original release; has stood the test of time pretty well. Bruce Wayne begins his battle against crime as Batman, inadvertently creates psycho crime-lord the Joker; the two of them both take a shine to reporter Vicki Vale.
Enormously influenced by Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, clearly, but then you could say the same about every single other Batman movie since. The real innovation at the time was to create a distinctive fantasy world around Batman so he appears less absurd: hence the gothic nightmare of Gotham City's architecture, and the combination of elements of 40s and 80s fashion in the costume design. Whole film is arguably unbalanced by Jack Nicholson's not-exactly-understated performance as the Joker, though Michael Keaton does his best. Is there really anything behind all the art direction and overacting? Possibly not, but that may be missing the point.
Enormously influenced by Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, clearly, but then you could say the same about every single other Batman movie since. The real innovation at the time was to create a distinctive fantasy world around Batman so he appears less absurd: hence the gothic nightmare of Gotham City's architecture, and the combination of elements of 40s and 80s fashion in the costume design. Whole film is arguably unbalanced by Jack Nicholson's not-exactly-understated performance as the Joker, though Michael Keaton does his best. Is there really anything behind all the art direction and overacting? Possibly not, but that may be missing the point.
Sarah (7799 KP) rated Red Sparrow in Books
Feb 26, 2018 (Updated Feb 26, 2018)
An interesting slow burner
When I first started this book, I was unsure what to make of it as the writing style seemed a little odd. However I soon got into it and it's actually a very interesting read. It's definitely a slow burner, there isn't a massive amount of action and it takes it's time getting to the conclusion, but this isn't a bad thing.
The main characters are well developed, although I'm not sure how you're meant to feel towards them. I can't say I warmed to Dominika, but maybe that's the point? The plot itself is interesting and although there aren't any massive surprises, it's good enough to keep you reading regardless. My only criticism would be the ending, as it felt a little disappointing. It is probably a more realistic ending than what id hoped for, but sometimes fantasy is a good thing, especially in such a serious and dark novel.
The main characters are well developed, although I'm not sure how you're meant to feel towards them. I can't say I warmed to Dominika, but maybe that's the point? The plot itself is interesting and although there aren't any massive surprises, it's good enough to keep you reading regardless. My only criticism would be the ending, as it felt a little disappointing. It is probably a more realistic ending than what id hoped for, but sometimes fantasy is a good thing, especially in such a serious and dark novel.