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Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Hot Milk in Books
Jul 28, 2017
Well written but too long and fluffy
Deborah Levy is a wonderful writer and is able to explore characters in a detailed way.
Unfortunately the storyline is a little too convoluted, rather emotional with little substance about an adult daughter's relationship with both her parents. It could be cut down to half the length and even then it may be too long. This may appeal to drama lovers but be warned - the story can be summed up in a sentence.
Unfortunately the storyline is a little too convoluted, rather emotional with little substance about an adult daughter's relationship with both her parents. It could be cut down to half the length and even then it may be too long. This may appeal to drama lovers but be warned - the story can be summed up in a sentence.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Zeroes (Zeroes, #1) in Books
Dec 7, 2018
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
The author of the <i>Uglies</i> series, Scott Westerfeld, has teamed up with co-writers Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti to create this exciting, whirlwind of a young adult novel. Many people wish they had a superpower, but what if there actually were people with them? <i>Zeroes</i> is a story about a group of teenagers with special gifts, however these unique abilities may be more dangerous than you would imagine.
The superpowers in this novel are not as conventional as the famous comic heroes. Some can control crowds with their minds or destroy electricity, and one blind character can even see through the eyes of others. Collectively these teenagers are called the <i>Zeroes</i>, but only amongst themselves.
Despite how cool it may seem to have these powers, their gifts can easily get themselves in to trouble. One of the teens, Ethan, accidently finds himself involved with drug dealers and a bank robbery, resulting in the police taking an interest. Whilst trying to get him out of this mess, the rest of the team cause even more trouble, sequentially making things worse and eventually leaving Ethan in a life threatening situation.
Told through six different characters, the reader gets the opportunity to learn about the individual powers and how each person deals with them. The novel is fast past with an explosive ending – literally – it is almost impossible to put it down. With an equal mix of male and female characters, it is suitable for all readers who enjoy YA, and by no means is it limited to teenagers only. You will find yourself wanting more.
The author of the <i>Uglies</i> series, Scott Westerfeld, has teamed up with co-writers Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti to create this exciting, whirlwind of a young adult novel. Many people wish they had a superpower, but what if there actually were people with them? <i>Zeroes</i> is a story about a group of teenagers with special gifts, however these unique abilities may be more dangerous than you would imagine.
The superpowers in this novel are not as conventional as the famous comic heroes. Some can control crowds with their minds or destroy electricity, and one blind character can even see through the eyes of others. Collectively these teenagers are called the <i>Zeroes</i>, but only amongst themselves.
Despite how cool it may seem to have these powers, their gifts can easily get themselves in to trouble. One of the teens, Ethan, accidently finds himself involved with drug dealers and a bank robbery, resulting in the police taking an interest. Whilst trying to get him out of this mess, the rest of the team cause even more trouble, sequentially making things worse and eventually leaving Ethan in a life threatening situation.
Told through six different characters, the reader gets the opportunity to learn about the individual powers and how each person deals with them. The novel is fast past with an explosive ending – literally – it is almost impossible to put it down. With an equal mix of male and female characters, it is suitable for all readers who enjoy YA, and by no means is it limited to teenagers only. You will find yourself wanting more.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2051 KP) rated Furbidden Fatality in Books
Feb 24, 2021
Glad I Adopted This Debut
Kari Stuart had been working as a waitress in a town in the Catskills until she won the lottery. She’s not quite sure what she is going to do with her winnings until she hears about an animal sanctuary on the edge of town that is for sale. Impulsively she buys it and sets about getting it ready to reopen. Unfortunately, that’s also when she runs across Bill Myers, the local dog warden, who seems to have targeted the sanctuary. After Kari finds Bill dead just outside the sanctuary’s fence in the middle of the night, she becomes the police’s prime suspect. Can she figure out what really happened?
I started to hear some early buzz about this book, so I decided to give it a try. I’m so glad I did. This may be the first in the series, but I already love the characters. Kari leads a great cast, and there are just as many charming four-legged characters as there are humans. The plot is inventive, with plenty to keep us engaged over the course of the story. Yet everything Kari uncovered helps make for a satisfying resolution when we reached the end. While this is Deborah Blake’s first mystery, she has written quite a few other books, and that shows through in the writing. If you are looking for a promising new mystery series, adopt this book right away.
I started to hear some early buzz about this book, so I decided to give it a try. I’m so glad I did. This may be the first in the series, but I already love the characters. Kari leads a great cast, and there are just as many charming four-legged characters as there are humans. The plot is inventive, with plenty to keep us engaged over the course of the story. Yet everything Kari uncovered helps make for a satisfying resolution when we reached the end. While this is Deborah Blake’s first mystery, she has written quite a few other books, and that shows through in the writing. If you are looking for a promising new mystery series, adopt this book right away.
Erika (17788 KP) rated The Mandalorian - Season 1 in TV
Dec 28, 2019 (Updated Dec 28, 2019)
I want to say that I love this show like nearly everyone else, but it's simply not the case. It's just not amazing or mind-blowing, like many suggest.
The show is sufficiently entertaining, but I have a few issues with it. The episodes were all directed by different people (Filoni and Chow directed 2), and that may have been the issue. The styles were just too different. I'm also not sure why Bryce Dallas Howard was allowed to direct an ep, she should really leave the directing to her father and stick with acting. Howard's ep was, by far, the worst of them all.
I was bummed that the eps were so short, just over 30 minutes with the end credits. It was definitely a bummer.
My favorite (and the best) episodes were directed by Deborah Chow, who is set to direct the new Obi-Wan series. I'm even more excited for that now, because she was rock solid.
I won't say much about the story line, I don't want to spoil it more than it already has been. The episodes were kind of everywhere, and I found myself thinking after them, what the hell was the point of this ep? It was all just a little disappointing, the hype was too much for this show.
I liked Pascal's Mando, and Cara Dune (Carano) was probably my favorite human character. The Child is, of course, ADORABLE, but I need to know the mystery. A scene in ep 6 or 7 seemed to dismiss my personal theory, but I'm still sticking to it.
If you're a fan of the Clone Wars and/or Rebels, the final scene of the last ep will be a treat. Though, what the hell happened in order for that artefact to land in that person's hands??
The show is sufficiently entertaining, but I have a few issues with it. The episodes were all directed by different people (Filoni and Chow directed 2), and that may have been the issue. The styles were just too different. I'm also not sure why Bryce Dallas Howard was allowed to direct an ep, she should really leave the directing to her father and stick with acting. Howard's ep was, by far, the worst of them all.
I was bummed that the eps were so short, just over 30 minutes with the end credits. It was definitely a bummer.
My favorite (and the best) episodes were directed by Deborah Chow, who is set to direct the new Obi-Wan series. I'm even more excited for that now, because she was rock solid.
I won't say much about the story line, I don't want to spoil it more than it already has been. The episodes were kind of everywhere, and I found myself thinking after them, what the hell was the point of this ep? It was all just a little disappointing, the hype was too much for this show.
I liked Pascal's Mando, and Cara Dune (Carano) was probably my favorite human character. The Child is, of course, ADORABLE, but I need to know the mystery. A scene in ep 6 or 7 seemed to dismiss my personal theory, but I'm still sticking to it.
If you're a fan of the Clone Wars and/or Rebels, the final scene of the last ep will be a treat. Though, what the hell happened in order for that artefact to land in that person's hands??
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Videodrome (1983) in Movies
Sep 8, 2020
First It Controls Your Mind Than It Destorys Your Body
Holy shit this movie is good. The effects, the psychological espect, the sci-fi, the horror, the suspense, the mystery and James Woods.
The Plot: As the president of a trashy TV channel, Max Renn (James Woods) is desperate for new programming to attract viewers. When he happens upon "Videodrome," a TV show dedicated to gratuitous torture and punishment, Max sees a potential hit and broadcasts the show on his channel. However, after his girlfriend (Deborah Harry) auditions for the show and never returns, Max investigates the truth behind Videodrome and discovers that the graphic violence may not be as fake as he thought.
Distributed by Universal Pictures, Videodrome was the first film by Cronenberg to gain backing from any major Hollywood studio. With the highest budget of any of his films to date, the film was a box-office bomb, recouping only $2.1 million from a $5.9 million budget.
Now considered a cult classic, the film has been cited as one of Cronenberg's best, and a key example of the body horror and science fiction horror genres.
The basis for the film came from David Cronenberg's childhood. Cronenberg used to pick up television signals from Buffalo, New York, late at night after Canadian stations had gone off the air, and worry he might see something disturbing not meant for public consumption.
After the box office success of Scanners, Cronenberg turned down the chance of directing Return of the Jedi, having had no desire to direct material produced by other filmmakers.
When it came to casting the character of Max Renn, Cronenberg chose James Woods, who was a fan of Rabid and Scanners and met with the actor in Beverly Hills to offer him the part, and liked the fact that Woods was very articulate in terms of delivery.
Its a excellent movie and a must see, same with david cronenberg's early horror films.
The Plot: As the president of a trashy TV channel, Max Renn (James Woods) is desperate for new programming to attract viewers. When he happens upon "Videodrome," a TV show dedicated to gratuitous torture and punishment, Max sees a potential hit and broadcasts the show on his channel. However, after his girlfriend (Deborah Harry) auditions for the show and never returns, Max investigates the truth behind Videodrome and discovers that the graphic violence may not be as fake as he thought.
Distributed by Universal Pictures, Videodrome was the first film by Cronenberg to gain backing from any major Hollywood studio. With the highest budget of any of his films to date, the film was a box-office bomb, recouping only $2.1 million from a $5.9 million budget.
Now considered a cult classic, the film has been cited as one of Cronenberg's best, and a key example of the body horror and science fiction horror genres.
The basis for the film came from David Cronenberg's childhood. Cronenberg used to pick up television signals from Buffalo, New York, late at night after Canadian stations had gone off the air, and worry he might see something disturbing not meant for public consumption.
After the box office success of Scanners, Cronenberg turned down the chance of directing Return of the Jedi, having had no desire to direct material produced by other filmmakers.
When it came to casting the character of Max Renn, Cronenberg chose James Woods, who was a fan of Rabid and Scanners and met with the actor in Beverly Hills to offer him the part, and liked the fact that Woods was very articulate in terms of delivery.
Its a excellent movie and a must see, same with david cronenberg's early horror films.
Merissa (11593 KP) rated Tau's Pride: Sacrifice in Books
Oct 26, 2017
Tau's Pride: Sacrifice by Wendi Kelly & Deborah Dorchak
Tau's Pride: Sacrifice continues in the world of Angels, shifters, demons, Talutha, and goodness know's what else. I'm sure we've only scraped the top of the barrel as far as Kelly and Dorchak's imagination goes! Although this is only the second book in this series, I would highly recommend you read the first series, just to get a handle on the different characters and the relationships they have.
You may remember that I fell out with Cole in the last book. Well, he is making efforts to redeem himself, but to be completely honest, it's not really working with me. Then again, I have always been biased towards Harry. The fallout/effect from the last book is shown in this one, with the affects being far-reaching to everyone connected to Regina. I love that woman, I really do, but she really needs to start focusing on the bigger picture. She has so much help on hand, people who love her, that I wish she could take a moment to simply breathe. Actually, I related to Olivia in this book A LOT! There is always drama, always some crisis going on, and as for who is with who - well, I've actually given up on that now. I just figure that they are all together, in one way, shape, or form, and that will have to do. With so many characters, new and old, all interlinked in so many different ways, I just can't keep track in my mind over who is with whom! Another thing that Olivia mentioned is the fact that it is now the Pride, not the Pack. In fact, the pack is now given a lower-case when it's mentioned. I get that they are doing something completely new, and with new comes chaos, but I do feel a sense of sorrow that the cats seem to be taking over.
Now, with that all being said, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book, and read it in one sitting. You have bad guys, you have good guys, and then you have bad guys that you actually feel sorry for and want to help (Victoria and Simon anyone?). This book is extremely well written, with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt the reading flow. The scenes also smoothly flow from one to the next without any jarring. The world building is amazing, and I am in awe of these two authors for not only providing such a distinctive story, but in a world is intricate and intriguing, and it will keep you turning the pages. Definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
You may remember that I fell out with Cole in the last book. Well, he is making efforts to redeem himself, but to be completely honest, it's not really working with me. Then again, I have always been biased towards Harry. The fallout/effect from the last book is shown in this one, with the affects being far-reaching to everyone connected to Regina. I love that woman, I really do, but she really needs to start focusing on the bigger picture. She has so much help on hand, people who love her, that I wish she could take a moment to simply breathe. Actually, I related to Olivia in this book A LOT! There is always drama, always some crisis going on, and as for who is with who - well, I've actually given up on that now. I just figure that they are all together, in one way, shape, or form, and that will have to do. With so many characters, new and old, all interlinked in so many different ways, I just can't keep track in my mind over who is with whom! Another thing that Olivia mentioned is the fact that it is now the Pride, not the Pack. In fact, the pack is now given a lower-case when it's mentioned. I get that they are doing something completely new, and with new comes chaos, but I do feel a sense of sorrow that the cats seem to be taking over.
Now, with that all being said, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book, and read it in one sitting. You have bad guys, you have good guys, and then you have bad guys that you actually feel sorry for and want to help (Victoria and Simon anyone?). This book is extremely well written, with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt the reading flow. The scenes also smoothly flow from one to the next without any jarring. The world building is amazing, and I am in awe of these two authors for not only providing such a distinctive story, but in a world is intricate and intriguing, and it will keep you turning the pages. Definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Darren (1599 KP) rated Jackals (2017) in Movies
Oct 14, 2019
Characters – Jimmy Levine has been deprogramming cult members for years, after being part of one before, he will push Justin, but this time he may have met his match. Kathy is the mother of the family, she has turned to drink after her marriage fell apart, she does enjoy the grandmother role though. Andrew is the father that brings in Jimmy, willing to face his own mistakes to save his son from the cult. Justin is the son that joined the cult, he believes he is part of a new family and they have come in search for his baby daughter to join the cult.
Performances – We do have a couple of well-known actors in this film, Stephen Dorff, Deborah Kara Unger and Johnathon Schaech being the big three, the problem is with the story, the three actors struggle to make the impact in this film they could have. Nobody gets to make the most of their work in this film apart from the cult members that makes us feel like we are watching the creepy crazed figures.
Story – The story follows a family try to save their son from a cult he joined, only the cult isn’t accepting one of their members to leaving, even if he doesn’t want to leave. This does take a spin on the home invasion film because we have a ready made established member of the cult being taken against his will, the cult size is scary big with the action against being deadly. The problems with the story come from the idea that we don’t learn the true motives of the people in the cult, why he joined them in the first place and with the ending feeling like they just ran out of money. This story has so much more potential, it feels like something was just missing in the execution as the ending is completely rushed.
Horror – The horror in the film comes from just what the cult is willing to do, they will make you feel uneasy every time they are just stood in the shadows, this is easily the highlight of the film. we are left to keep guessing on just what will happen in the film too.
Settings – The film is set in a cabin the woods, we have no signal, the cars are the only way out, but taken away early meaning the family is isolated and trapped, perfect for what the cult want to do to them.
Special Effects – The effects in the film are solid enough, we see most of the aftermath of any damage, which the one time we get to see the shocking damage we can easily turn away from that.
Scene of the Movie – The figures in the shadows.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The ending.
Final Thoughts – This is a horror film that was filled with potential, we could have seen so much more even if the horror side of the film is the highlight of the film.
Overall: Disturbing, yet unfulfilling horror.
Performances – We do have a couple of well-known actors in this film, Stephen Dorff, Deborah Kara Unger and Johnathon Schaech being the big three, the problem is with the story, the three actors struggle to make the impact in this film they could have. Nobody gets to make the most of their work in this film apart from the cult members that makes us feel like we are watching the creepy crazed figures.
Story – The story follows a family try to save their son from a cult he joined, only the cult isn’t accepting one of their members to leaving, even if he doesn’t want to leave. This does take a spin on the home invasion film because we have a ready made established member of the cult being taken against his will, the cult size is scary big with the action against being deadly. The problems with the story come from the idea that we don’t learn the true motives of the people in the cult, why he joined them in the first place and with the ending feeling like they just ran out of money. This story has so much more potential, it feels like something was just missing in the execution as the ending is completely rushed.
Horror – The horror in the film comes from just what the cult is willing to do, they will make you feel uneasy every time they are just stood in the shadows, this is easily the highlight of the film. we are left to keep guessing on just what will happen in the film too.
Settings – The film is set in a cabin the woods, we have no signal, the cars are the only way out, but taken away early meaning the family is isolated and trapped, perfect for what the cult want to do to them.
Special Effects – The effects in the film are solid enough, we see most of the aftermath of any damage, which the one time we get to see the shocking damage we can easily turn away from that.
Scene of the Movie – The figures in the shadows.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The ending.
Final Thoughts – This is a horror film that was filled with potential, we could have seen so much more even if the horror side of the film is the highlight of the film.
Overall: Disturbing, yet unfulfilling horror.
Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Halloween II (2009) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Jun 23, 2019)
Contains spoilers, click to show
That fateful night in Haddonfield, Laurie Strode shot and killed Michael Myers or so she thought. As the ambulance that pulled what was thought to be the corpse of the world's most notorious serial killer, Michael Myers made sure everyone knew he was still alive the best way he could; by slaughtering whoever got in his way. Now, two years later, Laurie lives with Sheriff Brackett and his daughter Annie. Laurie struggles with hallucinations and panic attacks while believing the therapy she's receiving is only making her worse. As Laurie struggles with her newfound issues, Michael tries to reunite his family. Michael has visions of his mother with a white horse accompanied by his younger self. Michael is returning to Haddonfield to finish the job.
This film has to set the record for dream sequences, which makes you wonder if the entire film is nothing more than a dream. I wasn't exactly a big fan of the remake from 2007 and expectations for this film were incredibly low, nobody can really be prepared for how terrible this film really is. Since there's so much wrong with this film, we'll try and start with what was actually was enjoyable.
Brad Dourif as Sheriff Brackett is really the highlight of the film as far as acting goes. While that probably isn't saying much and his role isn't as big as you may expect, he does a good job with the screen time he gets. His character is intense right from the start, but as things take a turn for the worse for his character his downward spiral is the most enthralling aspect of the film. A few of the deaths were also really satisfying. Mainly Buddy the Secuirty Guard. There's a night scene where an officer is out on Sheriff Brackett's lawn and we're looking at the silhouette of a tree while the officer searches the premises. Before you know it, we see Michael emerge from that tree silhouette and kill the officer.
Everything else in the film was just horrendous. The flaws are almost so overwhelming that it's nearly impossible to know where to begin. The whole white horse thing is ridiculous. So if Deborah Myers tells young Michael that he can think of her whenever he looks at the white horse figurine she gave him, wouldn't that make her a horse by default? The inconsistencies in the film are incredibly glaring, as well. Laurie and Annie's injuries from the previous film seem more severe at the start of this one, Laurie being able to put weight on an injured leg by walking on it but it causing her extreme pain when she's lifted from a stretcher to a bed at the hospital, Michael chopping off a guy's head with a shard of glass, etc. The "Nights in White Satin" thing was literally beaten into your skull by the time the film ended. If you sit through the film, it's like Rob is sitting next to you each time the song comes on nudging you with his elbow going, "Eh? Do you get it? You get it?"
Michael was way too vocal for my liking. Heavy breathing is one thing, but when we're hearing him grunt loudly every time he stabs somebody then it takes a lot of it. When he actually talked at the end of the film, I was done. He also seemed to spend more time stabbing women than men in the film. Guys get their head chopped off or an axe to the back while women get stabbed a dozen times or have their face smashed against a mirror nine times. The choreography didn't seem as good as the remake either. There's a scene where water gets on the camera and it's on there the entire scene. It's interesting at first, but after a few minutes you just want someone to get a towel to wipe it down.
As powerful as Michael seems to be, it at least made a bit more sense in the original film by John Carpenter. Michael was pure evil. That was the explanation, so him not being able to die at least sort of made sense. Now that he's been given this white trash upbringing in the remake, his super strength and inability to die just seems even more farfetched than it originally did. So when Michael is busting through walls and lifting cars with his bare hands all Incredible Hulk style in this film, it's laughable. Not to mention what happened to the Dr. Loomis character. There are just way too many things wrong with this sequel to list here.
Rob Zombie has certainly made Halloween his own with Halloween II. It's just a shame that it's really not worth watching seriously. Let's put it this way, the highlight of the film is Weird Al's cameo. After five films of dealing with white trash families, it's time for Zombie to move on to something different. It's safe to say he's bled that idea bone dry. I wouldn't seriously recommend this film to anyone, but if you're looking for a film to watch with some friends to laugh at and make fun of while it's going then this is the perfect film.
This film has to set the record for dream sequences, which makes you wonder if the entire film is nothing more than a dream. I wasn't exactly a big fan of the remake from 2007 and expectations for this film were incredibly low, nobody can really be prepared for how terrible this film really is. Since there's so much wrong with this film, we'll try and start with what was actually was enjoyable.
Brad Dourif as Sheriff Brackett is really the highlight of the film as far as acting goes. While that probably isn't saying much and his role isn't as big as you may expect, he does a good job with the screen time he gets. His character is intense right from the start, but as things take a turn for the worse for his character his downward spiral is the most enthralling aspect of the film. A few of the deaths were also really satisfying. Mainly Buddy the Secuirty Guard. There's a night scene where an officer is out on Sheriff Brackett's lawn and we're looking at the silhouette of a tree while the officer searches the premises. Before you know it, we see Michael emerge from that tree silhouette and kill the officer.
Everything else in the film was just horrendous. The flaws are almost so overwhelming that it's nearly impossible to know where to begin. The whole white horse thing is ridiculous. So if Deborah Myers tells young Michael that he can think of her whenever he looks at the white horse figurine she gave him, wouldn't that make her a horse by default? The inconsistencies in the film are incredibly glaring, as well. Laurie and Annie's injuries from the previous film seem more severe at the start of this one, Laurie being able to put weight on an injured leg by walking on it but it causing her extreme pain when she's lifted from a stretcher to a bed at the hospital, Michael chopping off a guy's head with a shard of glass, etc. The "Nights in White Satin" thing was literally beaten into your skull by the time the film ended. If you sit through the film, it's like Rob is sitting next to you each time the song comes on nudging you with his elbow going, "Eh? Do you get it? You get it?"
Michael was way too vocal for my liking. Heavy breathing is one thing, but when we're hearing him grunt loudly every time he stabs somebody then it takes a lot of it. When he actually talked at the end of the film, I was done. He also seemed to spend more time stabbing women than men in the film. Guys get their head chopped off or an axe to the back while women get stabbed a dozen times or have their face smashed against a mirror nine times. The choreography didn't seem as good as the remake either. There's a scene where water gets on the camera and it's on there the entire scene. It's interesting at first, but after a few minutes you just want someone to get a towel to wipe it down.
As powerful as Michael seems to be, it at least made a bit more sense in the original film by John Carpenter. Michael was pure evil. That was the explanation, so him not being able to die at least sort of made sense. Now that he's been given this white trash upbringing in the remake, his super strength and inability to die just seems even more farfetched than it originally did. So when Michael is busting through walls and lifting cars with his bare hands all Incredible Hulk style in this film, it's laughable. Not to mention what happened to the Dr. Loomis character. There are just way too many things wrong with this sequel to list here.
Rob Zombie has certainly made Halloween his own with Halloween II. It's just a shame that it's really not worth watching seriously. Let's put it this way, the highlight of the film is Weird Al's cameo. After five films of dealing with white trash families, it's time for Zombie to move on to something different. It's safe to say he's bled that idea bone dry. I wouldn't seriously recommend this film to anyone, but if you're looking for a film to watch with some friends to laugh at and make fun of while it's going then this is the perfect film.
KittyMiku (138 KP) rated A Discovery of Witches in Books
May 23, 2019
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness is the first book in the All Souls Trilogy. It introduces a witch and her vampire lover and the fight they must endure to be together against all odds. As the first book of the series, it really draws you in and makes you really think about how things are perceived and creates the illusion that vampires, witches and daemons (daemons are demons in Harkness’s fantastical world) could be hiding amongst us without us ever knowing. The book is placed in modern times, but brings in tons of history as the main character; a witch named Diana, is a historian and often is immersed in one history topic or another. It is quite interesting to read about her approach to life and see how it changes when she meets a vampire who whisks her away, so to speak. As a reader, you are able to delve into a world where anything is possible and see how just similar things would be if this was truly our world.
A Discovery of Witches is a book about a witch names Diana has encountered a very old and lost manuscript that many others want. Upon being granted access to this book and denying the magic in her that calls her to investigate it with her powers, she returns it, only to find herself being threatened, stalked and in danger due to it only being obtained by her and returned to the library and back to its magical disappearance. The finding of this book however, helps he discover who she is and a new lover, who is a vampire. The odd couple experience a threat and a mystery that they wish to uncover. As well as, an old rule that they now must try to change, no matter the cost
I had really enjoyed reading the first book, and found its quick pace refreshing but also pleasing to read. Though there were many things left for me to wonder about. All the secrets the vampire had and his worries that will be revealed in the second book, I hope anyways, makes me want to just read all the books back to back. Though the book was 576 pages long, I was able to finish reading it in two days. I often didn’t want to tear myself out of the book to do my daily tasks. It’s definitely a page turned with how Harkness was able to describe everything in the book and flush out some character while leaving mystery on what is to come in the next book.
Harkness was able to draw in each of the five senses into her writing. I was able to smell, taste, and feel what was being describe it was easy to get lost and forget easily all that was around me. However, I did find that somethings where a bit odd and would never have paired up, like the smell of cinnamon and cloves. I will have to try to make the combination in my kitchen to see what that might smell like together as I am not one for the smell of cinnamon. I did find the characters to be extremely well put together and often found myself happy when they were happy, as well as sad when they were. I did quite enjoy that A Discovery of Witches has some things that were extremely accurate while still being fantastical. For example, in Wicca or Paganism rituals are done to do witch craft. Spells and such are handed down to members of the family for generations and the holidays match up to what is practiced today. However, the way magic is portrayed isn’t what really happens in our world, or so I know of, but if it was, I can see how Harkness describes it being how it is.
A Discovery of Witches is just an amazing piece of work that will draw you in and keep you wanting more. Though some words can come across odd, as they aren’t used in normal, everyday conversations, it really says a lot about Harkness’s writing style. She is intelligent and it shows in her work with how she describes things and often uses things from our past to put things in our present world in to perspective to pertain to her characters.
I loved how the book has made me think and do some research myself, on different topics, if only to see what was true and what was made up. For example, alchemy is what puts our character in a situation that seems harsh and completely uncalled for by some extremely bad characters. Not knowing much about alchemy, I had to look up just what the photos Diana might be looking at. The author described them so well, I would picture them in my mind and when I looked them up; I was amazed how much close to the actual images Harkness had described. Though, I am on a computer versus in a library with old manuscripts.
Overall, I would rate this book 3 star out of 4 stars. That may seem harsh seeing as it is one of the best books I have read, and I read a ton, but I found that with all the secrets the characters keep from each other and the reader as a whole quite infuriating. I wanted more and find myself here not able to resist the urge of starting the next book. I do hope some things are clarified and revealed; otherwise I will end up being a very upset reader. Harkness’s writing does seem promising to reveal more as the story develops though. A Discovery of Witches is an extremely good book, even with its infuriating secrets, that I would recommend to anyone who loves the ideas of vampires, witches and demons existing in a world alongside us.
A Discovery of Witches is a book about a witch names Diana has encountered a very old and lost manuscript that many others want. Upon being granted access to this book and denying the magic in her that calls her to investigate it with her powers, she returns it, only to find herself being threatened, stalked and in danger due to it only being obtained by her and returned to the library and back to its magical disappearance. The finding of this book however, helps he discover who she is and a new lover, who is a vampire. The odd couple experience a threat and a mystery that they wish to uncover. As well as, an old rule that they now must try to change, no matter the cost
I had really enjoyed reading the first book, and found its quick pace refreshing but also pleasing to read. Though there were many things left for me to wonder about. All the secrets the vampire had and his worries that will be revealed in the second book, I hope anyways, makes me want to just read all the books back to back. Though the book was 576 pages long, I was able to finish reading it in two days. I often didn’t want to tear myself out of the book to do my daily tasks. It’s definitely a page turned with how Harkness was able to describe everything in the book and flush out some character while leaving mystery on what is to come in the next book.
Harkness was able to draw in each of the five senses into her writing. I was able to smell, taste, and feel what was being describe it was easy to get lost and forget easily all that was around me. However, I did find that somethings where a bit odd and would never have paired up, like the smell of cinnamon and cloves. I will have to try to make the combination in my kitchen to see what that might smell like together as I am not one for the smell of cinnamon. I did find the characters to be extremely well put together and often found myself happy when they were happy, as well as sad when they were. I did quite enjoy that A Discovery of Witches has some things that were extremely accurate while still being fantastical. For example, in Wicca or Paganism rituals are done to do witch craft. Spells and such are handed down to members of the family for generations and the holidays match up to what is practiced today. However, the way magic is portrayed isn’t what really happens in our world, or so I know of, but if it was, I can see how Harkness describes it being how it is.
A Discovery of Witches is just an amazing piece of work that will draw you in and keep you wanting more. Though some words can come across odd, as they aren’t used in normal, everyday conversations, it really says a lot about Harkness’s writing style. She is intelligent and it shows in her work with how she describes things and often uses things from our past to put things in our present world in to perspective to pertain to her characters.
I loved how the book has made me think and do some research myself, on different topics, if only to see what was true and what was made up. For example, alchemy is what puts our character in a situation that seems harsh and completely uncalled for by some extremely bad characters. Not knowing much about alchemy, I had to look up just what the photos Diana might be looking at. The author described them so well, I would picture them in my mind and when I looked them up; I was amazed how much close to the actual images Harkness had described. Though, I am on a computer versus in a library with old manuscripts.
Overall, I would rate this book 3 star out of 4 stars. That may seem harsh seeing as it is one of the best books I have read, and I read a ton, but I found that with all the secrets the characters keep from each other and the reader as a whole quite infuriating. I wanted more and find myself here not able to resist the urge of starting the next book. I do hope some things are clarified and revealed; otherwise I will end up being a very upset reader. Harkness’s writing does seem promising to reveal more as the story develops though. A Discovery of Witches is an extremely good book, even with its infuriating secrets, that I would recommend to anyone who loves the ideas of vampires, witches and demons existing in a world alongside us.