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Sold to the Werewolf Prince
Sold to the Werewolf Prince
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
This book is very short and has a good thought behind it. Since the world Hannah is now trying to integrate into is all about being kind and polite at all costs, its easy to see why she would have troubles with some of it. If offending someone meant execution, any human would have a problem living there without issue. I think that is the biggest idea I found to be enjoyable in the book. I love the idea of aliens and space travel, but the view point on having to keep your tongue tied to always be able to be kind to someone is what pique my interest. However, its not just your voice and words, its in your actions too. That whole world made sure everyone at all times are kept in a pleasured and blissful state.

At first, I was intrigued on the aliens and the life on their planet, but I found my interest leading me more towards how Hannah explained how Humans act to one another and how its hard to come by people who are naturally kind and respectful. Though the idea of being executed for saying anything in any way that could offend someone is kind of hard to get behind, I also feel like its something we should all strive for anyways. I can see the disadvantages of always being kind and polite as well though. In the book, Hannah had made it clear she was never sure what would offend someone and get her possibly killed and so she kept a lot of questions and thoughts to herself. I can completely understand that. To a degree though, I think keeping unkind things or questions that could be offense to yourself to be a great idea. However, when it comes to asking things about someone's religion or culture, I would think that wouldn't create a lot of offense. After all, we are all curious about something we don't understand or don't know. It did bring up a lot of things that we allow our children to say and do that isn't kind and allows others to feel unworthy or disrespected. For example name calling. In the story Hannah had tried to explain there are ways to say something to make in endearing. She used the term "bookworm". She went on to explain that in school people called her a bookworm to be mean and hurtful, it was an insult, but at home her mother used the term endearingly because Hannah always had her nose in a book. And if we are honest with ourselves, we know this is often a true case. Kids at school can be mean and hurtful if you don't fit in, but sometimes the insults they deal can also be ones of endearment from those we love. An example of this is the label gamer. In schools being a gamer meant you didn't have a ton of friends and often were picked on because you preferred to be at home playing your games than going to parties. However, if your wife is playfully teasing you by calling you a gamer, or uses it as an endearing term, it is not hurtful at all. Isn't it funny how something so silly as a single word used to describe you can have duel purposes; Hurtful and endearing?

I think Hannah's explanation of that was pretty dead on, but that wasn't all she brought up that reminded me of how awful humans can be. She has brought up how possessive humans can be to materials, enough to kill or have a hand in killing someone else for it. This is something we actually see everyday, if we allow ourselves too. People kill other people for money and material objects. People kill animals, and we aren't talking about for food purposes, because they want to or because it will allow them to make money for certain pieces of the animal. They aren't just hurtful, they are lethal to others and their environment. I found myself cringing at how real her words were. I know these things are going on in the world, we all do, but to have it spoken out loud so bluntly makes you wish it would just stop. In the book, Hannah had stated the American Government had stated that aliens had visited and they covered it up. And Prince Tamkin had stated because of human hostile nature, they didn't see why they should bother with the humans. He said most aliens didn't see the humans worth the hassle. That brings me to question if it is possible that this is also true.

Think about it. Let's say this particular book is correct in the fact aliens exist and they gave up trying to communicate with us because of our hostile natures. Always putting ourselves first and anyone, anything else last. It would make sense in a way, don't you think? I know this is a Sci-fi romance book, but at the same time, it does make a lot of sense. Hannah had said we were egotistical and self centered, thinking we had the best technology in the universe and that we can take anything we want and its true. As a race, humans are horrible creatures. That's not to say there aren't good ones out there. Even Hannah had explained that there were groups of people who fought for the Earth and others. Just as there are people in the real world who do that same. So if Wright can have a lot of truth in the book, who is not to say she was able to come up with a reason on why aliens stay away from Earth? Even though the space travel seems still to far for us to know if that was that is a real thing or not, it is still something worth thinking about.

I do have one major compliant about the book. The intercourse scenes. There were a total of three heavily detailed scenes that I don't completely understand. Do not get my wrong, the first scene was to make it so you understood that pleasing the woman in the bedroom was extremely important and it completely proved this case. However, I do not feels that so much needed to be in the book. The story could have used more details on the alien planet and the major city they resided in. I would have loved to know more about it. I would have loved to actually have seen the different communities and wild life. I was disappointed there wasn't more but instead I got steamy intercourse scenes that would make adult movie stars blush.

I would rate this book 3 stars out of 5 stars. It had brought up a lot of topics to discuss and ponder on and definitely left me wanting more, but the intercourse scenes were over the top and just too much for me. I would have been find with just the first one and maybe shorter scenes for the others. To me it just took away from the story in a way I didn't like.
  
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Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Vampyr in Video Games

Oct 23, 2018 (Updated Oct 23, 2018)  
Vampyr
Vampyr
2018 | Action, Role-Playing
Atrocious Combat (3 more)
Piss-poor Voice Acting
Shabby Graphics
Soooooooo Boring
One Of The Worst Games Of The Generation
When I picked up Vampyr, I really wanted to like it. This was one of those underdog games that come out a couple of times per generation. When it was first announced and shown, it was met with groans and cringes, then when it released back in June it was received surprisingly fairly well, getting 6's and 7's across various websites.

I eventually got around to picking it up a couple of weekends ago. For the life of me, I do not understand what the reviewers that scored this game a 6 or a 7 were thinking. This game is utter garbage.

In previous things that I've written, I've spoken about the bar consistently being raised in modern gaming and how there is no longer any place for sub par mediocrity in the landscape any more. Well, this is a prime example of a game that does not belong in 2018, It would even have been dated if it had dropped in 2008. Frankly, it doesn't belong in this generation. I have played PS2 and even PS1 games with better gameplay than this trash.

When I first booted up the game, it was pretty slow to start. It seemed pretty dialogue heavy, yet the voice acting was pretty poor. I powered through it, telling myself that there are other games that start off slow and awkward and end up being great once you get stuck in. Then I was introduced to the combat. My God. I genuinely couldn't believe how stiff and awkward and dated it felt. It is so easy and monotonous as well, to the point that any fun drains almost instantly. I can confidently say that it is by far the worst combat I have experienced out of any game I have played in 2018.

The gimmick that the game's marketing seemed to be pushing leading up to it's release, was that every character in the game is important and has an extensive backstory, from main characters to randomers on the street. My question is; why should I give a shit? The vast majority of these characters have nothing important or relevant to say and the vocal performances are so dire, you find yourself button mashing the square button to skip through all of the required dialogue that you are forced to sit through.

The plan was to fly through Vampyr this week and be finished for when Red Dead Redemption 2 is released on Friday. Two and a bit hours into Vampyr, I decided that it wasn't even worth doing that and life is too short.

Overall, the most impressive thing about this game is how much Dontnod Entertainment managed to fuck up a fairly interesting premise. Do yourself a favour and avoid this game like the plague. The only reason that it isn't getting a 1 is because The Amazing Spiderman 2 also came out this generation.
  
Always Forever
Always Forever
Mark Chadbourn | 2002 | Dystopia, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
All technology is all but dead and the ancient powers stalk the land. With civlization in ruins only the Brothers and Sisters of Dragons can stop the world sliding into chaos. But they are broken, a spent force after the many trials they have endured. All may be lost after all.

Carrying on the tone of the first two books of the trilogy this is a dark and edgy read, often difficult as the protagonists are pushed to breaking point and beyond. Chadbourn's writing is very evocative and descriptive of the locations and the characters - perhaps because they have every flaw exposed - seem very human.

The ending makes the trilogy worthwhile, but to an extent maybe this is half a book too far; some plot elements become a little repetitive as do the threat from the creatures of legend that are hunting for the heroes. Ultimately the story just about justifies this and it definitely doesn't let down the series but maybe there's just a bit of faerie fatigue.

If you like your fantasy dark and your heroes really put through the wringer this series will appeal but it is not for the faint hearted.
  
A Lonely Place to Die (2011)
A Lonely Place to Die (2011)
2011 | Action, Mystery
6
6.3 (4 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Set against the sweeping landscape of the Scottish Highlands it would seem like a perfect place as any to stage a cat mouse style thriller – and that is exactly what we get. When a group of climbers out on excursion discover a young girl buried alive with only a tube for air they take the decision to rescue her, which just became their biggest mistake.

It’s a fast paced edge of the seat ride which never stops for a second to catch its breath. George puts in a worthy performance, gripped by fear she runs on adrenalin in order to try and outwit her villainous opponents.

There is something truly unnerving about setting a thriller in such a picaresque backdrop, it worked for The Decent and certainly for Deliverance. Here Gilby does more than enough to raise the tension, from an opening that will surely shake the viewer up it only takes a strangle hold on them further.

The acting is if I’m honest below par from a majority of the party, George shines there is no question of that, but it’s the inclusion of protagonist Sean Harris as Mr. Kidd that really gives the film a chilling edge.

He’s a dead pan actor, that has the look of a complete bastard, cold callous and methodical. When he recalls a past tale during the climax of the film its a reminder that he takes his business very seriously.

George puts in a worthy performance, gripped by fear she runs on adrenalin in order to try and outwit her villainous opponents

For the last act the film moves from the heights of the forest to a small Scottish town deep in a local festival and while you may feel that some of the tension might be lost, think again.

The inclusion of a few bounty hunters adds to the action and elaborates on the plot further, and it races to a pulsating finish. It’s a commendable effort from Gilbey whose last outing Rise of the Footsoldier was also met with great acclaim.

While it may be consigned to the group labelled B-Moives, this has enough to keep even the seasoned film fan strapped to their chairs.
  
The Other Mother
The Other Mother
Carol Goodman | 2018 | Mystery, Thriller
7
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Twisty psychological thriller
When Daphne flees her home, taking very little but her six-month-old daughter, Chloe, she isn't sure what to expect. She's leaving everything behind (including her controlling husband) to work for one of her favorite authors, Schuyler, as an archivist. She'll be living in the shadow of a mental hospital, which Schulyer's late father ran for many years. Daphne hopes this will be a new start and a way to escape both her husband and the dark moods, diagnosed as postpartum mood disorder, she felt when Chloe was born. She'll also miss her friend, Laurel, with whom she formed a tight bond after meeting in a mother's group.

Get ready: this book is a crazy, bewildering ride. It will also always have the distinction of being the novel I was reading on an airplane trip to San Diego when one of my five-year-old daughters threw up. Twice. So it will be memorable in several ways. :)

If you're looking for an easy, linear psychological thriller, this one may not be for you. This novel is confusing and crazy and makes you question everything you're reading. But it's an exciting, twisty thriller and a great, fast read (and a welcome distraction from vomiting children). Most of it is told in current-day descriptions from Daphne, along with excerpts from her journal from her postpartum mothers group. As Daphne meets her new boss, Schuyler, and becomes fascinated with a patient of her father's, Edith, we also eventually hear from Edith and excerpts from Edith's journal, too. The entire result is a wonderful, twisted, tale that has you frantically turning pages, trying to work things out and figure out who is who and what the heck is going on.

I don't want to reveal too much, as it's best going in without too many preconceived notions. The novel has a bit of gothic in it, as many of Goodman's do, with the mental hospital looming in the background. The idea of postpartum depression and motherhood is a theme running throughout, as well.

Overall, even though I was sometimes frustrated as I tried to work through this one, I wound up enjoying it. I was impressed at how things came together and enjoyed the wild ride I was on. I've loved Goodman since The Lake of Dead Languages and find myself looking forward to each new novel she releases. This one was different, but I was quite caught up in its characters and dark themes. Definitely worth a read.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Librarything in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
  
TU
The Underwriting
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Hook is the hottest new dating app. It's location based and as long as two users match each other they can "hook" up in a matter of minutes.
Jost Hart, Hook's creator, believes it's time to follow in the steps of Facebook and other apps and take his public. He enlist Todd Kent with L.Cecil to help with the IPO. Todd barely knows Josh, having just met him briefly at a strip club months before, but is grateful for the opportunity seeing the potential in the app since he is one of it's users.

Kelly Jacobsen is also a Hook user, one of about 500 million. She has just accepted a position at L.Cecil after interning there over the summer. Now, back at Stanford, she reaches out to Tara Taylor, her mentor during the internship, letting her know of the decision. Tara is very excited for Kelly, this along with being named as part of the IPO team for Hook is really making her week. But after making this decision and spending a night out with friends, the next day, Kelly is found dead, with a drug overdose as the explanation. Her friends and family are baffled by this as this is something she would never do.

The death of a young co-ed and the introduction of a new company going public. Could these events be related in any way? Could Hook somehow be involved with Kelly's untimely demise? As the buzz for the IPO grows so does the speculation of the security of the app and it's users.

With so many changes happening so quickly, what will be the outcome? This book is filled with sex, lies, and billions of dollars, never a great combination when dealing with murder!

When first reading this book I was shocked at the number of different characters introduced so quickly. The book was fast paced from the start. ou meet the team of L.Cecil bankers in charge of the underwriting. From the guy at the top, to the little-a analyst who is crunching all of the numbers. You meet the guys in Silicon Valley from the creator of the app, to the engineers, that help to keep it running.

Everyone has their own agenda in this deal. To be bigger, better, and more powerful than before. And with billions of dollars on the table, the deal would do just that. This was an intriguing book, that thoroughly kept my attention. After reading one night I had very vivid dream about the book. I was sitting at the table with everyone, trying to make the deal work. It was a bit crazy for me. There are parts of this book that leave you with your mouth hanging open as you can't believe what you just read.
  
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Fred (860 KP) rated Case Closed in TV

May 27, 2019  
Case Closed
Case Closed
1996 | Animation, Mystery, Thriller
8
8.7 (6 Ratings)
TV Show Rating
If you can overlook the silly & useless premise, this is one great anime
Every review you'll see of this show or book, will tell you the back story of "Case Closed". They'll tell you how the teenage Shinichi Kudo (a genius detective) is given an experimental pill by some thugs and is transformed into a child again. He calls himself Conan Edogawa & wherever he goes, a crime happens & he solves the crime. He keeps his predicament to himself & an inventor friend of his. The inventor gives him Bond type gadgets that help him get by, since he's a child again. One of these gadgets, a bow-tie, changes his voice, so he can sound exactly like anyone. When he solves the crime, he knocks out an adult with a dart hidden in his watch, hides behind the sleeping adult, talks through his bow-tie to sound like the adult & tells everyone within earshot who the criminal is.

Now, I love anime & I love this show. But, this is maybe the silliest premise ever in an anime. And it's an utterly useless premise. Having Conan as a child serves no purpose in the show at all. He still acts like an adult & most of the time, he's just hanging out with his girlfriend (who doesn't know Conan is her boyfriend) & her father (who is a detective & a very bad one at that). This little "kid" is allowed to walk around the crime scene (usually a dead body) like it's perfectly normal. He sometimes gives the clues he finds out loud. Most of the time, the adults take his advice, other times, they yell at him to shut up, even though he has given clues that have solved the crimes before hand. It just doesn't make any sense. If he's going to act like an adult, just make his character an adult. The side-story of the thugs who changed him is hardly (if ever) brought up again. It's pointless.

Luckily, most of the detective stories themselves are great enough to overlook the premise. Well, almost overlook them. Whenever I see Conan crouching behind a chair, speaking into his tie, I cringe at how silly it is.) The characters are realistic & the stories are very dark sometimes. Definitely not for kids (another reason the premise is stupid). The animation itself is top notch & each character stands out, so you can tell them apart when trying to figure out "who did it". I do recommend this show to anime fans & people who like detective shows. I would have given it a 10, but the premise is just too ridiculous. Still, knocking it 2 points is not bad.
  
Killing Floor: (Jack Reacher 1)
Killing Floor: (Jack Reacher 1)
Lee Child | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry
6
8.2 (17 Ratings)
Book Rating
OK characterisation (1 more)
Good mystery build up
A slow burn, didn't exactly leave me with a desire to run out to get the next book, but enough to give it a go. (0 more)
Intriguiging lead character.
I wasn't sure about this book when I first started it. I had heard great things about it, but I like to make my own mind up. Although it had some action from the start, it was still quite slow but once I got into it, I really enjoyed it. A really good read, I passed onto my mum to read too! We quite like reading the same books sometimes so we can discuss it after reading. Its quite a nice mum/daughter activity.

I know the Jack Reacher series is quite old, and now has to movies but I guess I was quite late to the party. I have managed to avoid hearing much about the series, other than lots of positive comments about the books. So I was quite excited to get started.

The debut Jack Reacher novel kicks off with a good mystery and an intriguing character. I did find it was quite slow, and even though Jack is meant to be a bit of a mystery, I finished the book still not really feeling connected to the character, and for me, when reading its about feeling connected to the characters and the books which makes me carry on reading a series.
Although, I didn't fully connected with Jack Reacher, I did like the story and some of the background characters.

I like fiction, and I am a fan of Harry Potter and sci-fi and lots of things that dispel belief, but I like it in that context when you are expecting magic and some things to not make sense. The idea of why Jack was in Margate, Georgia and his connection the dead body felt a little strange. It added a level of something to the story but I am not sure why. This was my only issue with it, and I have only read the first book, so maybe more will be explained as the series goes on. I am giving it the benefit of the doubt, as overall I did really enjoy the book.

It's an 'ok' start to a series, and Jack Reachers mysterious life kept me intrigued enough to want to carry on with the series and pass it onto my mum. I am excited to move onto book 2.
  
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Kara Skinner (332 KP) rated Dreamz in Books

Jun 12, 2019  
Dreamz
Dreamz
A. R. Von | 2013 | Dystopia, Fiction & Poetry, Paranormal
6
6.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian

Word Count: 12,470

Average Goodreads Rating: 4.54/5 stars

My rating: 3/5 stars

To be honest, I automatically started to dislike this book because “Dreams” is spelled with a Z. And while it was okay, it was not as good as it could have been.

Wunder has been dreaming about a man for as long as she can remember, always the same man. The dreams leave her aroused to no end at night. Unfortunately, this man doesn’t exist in her life, at least not yet. But her love life is nonexistent and thanks to her being half zombie, that’s not going to change any time soon.

Little does she know that her dream man exists and his name is Pete. Not only does he exist, but he’s been dreaming about her as well. Pete is also half zombie and lives in the next town over with his uncle. When he moves to Wunder’s town to recover from a huge zombie attack, will they finally get to meet in real life?

You can get this book for free on Smashwords.

I have such mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, it’s a cool story with some damn good world-building. The explanation behind a half zombie, half human is actually logical, or as logical as anything to do with zombies is. This also sets up a lot of potential plotlines for the other books in the series, all of them sounding interesting. And the Resilient Infected Police, or RIP, have a fantastic name.

Also, I can always appreciate a bad-ass girl who knows how to kick some ass, zombie or otherwise.

But learn to fricking edit.

Aside from the grammatical and punctuational atrocities that made my eyes widen in horror while I was reading this, there are so many strange things in this story that aren’t even rookie mistakes. This story is as loose as your post Taco Bell shit.

Never mind the crazy summaries and excessive telling instead of showing. I’ve seen that so many times by now, I’m almost immune to that. What I haven’t seen is a fucking tree fetish.

Yes, ladies and gents, you read that right. Either Wunder loves trees a little too much, or the author does. Why else would Wunder interrupt her retelling of a very hot and kinky sex dream to describe at length the tree she’s tied to, when she first saw it, and how beautiful she thinks it is.

Damn, Wunder, get back to how your sexy dream man is dominating you. I don’t have patience for this arousal-killing nature shit.

Also, A. R. Von got so distracted with setting the stage for future plot lines that she totally forgot to dazzle the reader with the current plot. There was an awful lot of talk about how Pete’s town attracts zombies a lot more than normal towns do, and about the life test they have to take every month to make sure the people aren’t dead, although I feel like the rotting flesh would give it away. (Also how does a person keep their zombie side secret when being blood tested monthly for proof of life? Asking for a friend).

But the current plot of restless RIP agents going to save a town from a hoard of zombies while having kinky dreams is sadly neglected. The exchange between Wunder and her friend feels more like a free write than a final draft and the epic battle is slow-paced and anti-climactic.

Then at the end, Pete asks his uncle about Wunder, and Pete is able to tell him all about Wunder’s famous reputation of being an all-around badass, which brings up the question: how does Pete, who lives with his uncle and works with his uncle in the RIP not know even a little bit about Wunder’s existence when his uncle is able to recognize her on sight and gush about how awesome she is?

But I do like Pete and Wunder. Wunder is a bad-ass and Pete is sexy as hell. The chemistry between them is great. While there’s only a promise of a love connection in this book, I do believe they have a very juicy love story ahead of them.

Unfortunately the story needs massive editing and the dialogue and action often feels forced. I’m tempted to read the next book in the series, just to see how the love story plays out, but I doubt I will because I have a feeling the other stories are as unedited as this one was. But if you still want to check it out, you can get it for free on Smashwords.