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Ross (3284 KP) rated Dead Man's Steel in Books
Oct 4, 2017
Outstanding conclusion to this trilogy. I was worried about the number of story threads and loose ends at the end of the Sword of the North and how these could satisfactorily be resolved in 400 pages. I was not disappointed.
The story not only starts to close off loose ends but new threads start up.
The one-time residents of the continent decide to return and Reckon the human race.
Meanwhile a horde of demons has started to break through a rift in the highlands and need to be stopped while they still can.
And there is a dragon.
There are a lot of sad endings for characters I had come to love/loathe and love reading about. Some of these are a long time coming (it seems almost every chapter involving Brodar Kayne has him on the verge of death at the end).
Quite simply an awesome ending to one of the best fantasy series I have read in a long time.
I am tempted to end with the words "better than Abercrombie" but I am not sure I can. Oh I have.
The story not only starts to close off loose ends but new threads start up.
The one-time residents of the continent decide to return and Reckon the human race.
Meanwhile a horde of demons has started to break through a rift in the highlands and need to be stopped while they still can.
And there is a dragon.
There are a lot of sad endings for characters I had come to love/loathe and love reading about. Some of these are a long time coming (it seems almost every chapter involving Brodar Kayne has him on the verge of death at the end).
Quite simply an awesome ending to one of the best fantasy series I have read in a long time.
I am tempted to end with the words "better than Abercrombie" but I am not sure I can. Oh I have.
Suswatibasu (1702 KP) rated Split (2016) in Movies
Oct 19, 2017 (Updated Oct 19, 2017)
A little better from M Night Shyamalan, but still not spectacular
By far, James McAvoy steals the show in this psychological thriller, in which he plays 23 different personalities. Suffering from the condition Dissociative Identity Disorder, McAvoy reveals a dark side, where he kidnaps three girls and holds them hostage to his whims, while attempting to seek help from a psychiatrist. In between, we see one girl in particular engage with him, the trauma also bringing out her own demons. And of course a mandatory cameo from the director himself.
While the story has potential, and his acting is flawless - it lacks substance somewhat. Apart from his 'transformation', the film seems to have been created mainly on the premise that there will be a sequel, so you're left in limbo at the end with a small clue of what's next.
It's not particularly scary, so I wouldn't deem it a horror movie as such. The girls' kidnapping also seems slightly pointless, like tools in the movie so that they can showcase Kevin's (the main personality) different sides and what a 'monster' he is. Disappointing, but better than Shyamalan's recent terrible films.
While the story has potential, and his acting is flawless - it lacks substance somewhat. Apart from his 'transformation', the film seems to have been created mainly on the premise that there will be a sequel, so you're left in limbo at the end with a small clue of what's next.
It's not particularly scary, so I wouldn't deem it a horror movie as such. The girls' kidnapping also seems slightly pointless, like tools in the movie so that they can showcase Kevin's (the main personality) different sides and what a 'monster' he is. Disappointing, but better than Shyamalan's recent terrible films.
Suswatibasu (1702 KP) rated The Dry in Books
Oct 31, 2017 (Updated Oct 31, 2017)
Vividly realistic, a real page-turner
This is unlike most thrillers, which seems to become hyperbolic by the end of the book. Set in the outback of Australia, the novel focuses on a small rural community where a family have been murdered.
A detective is forced to go back to his roots in this town, and confront his own demons which appears to have a connection to the murder in some shape or form. Here we see farmers reeling from drought and bush fires, making them distraught and antsy by his presence. We see increasing tension and violence as he continues to wade through all of the mysteries, overturning all of their stories, culminating in possible ex-communication.
It is an intriguing tale with the denouement well hidden until the end. The harsh surroundings and the unforgiving characters in the township are well explored and the descriptions are vivid. I read this in two days, as it is an easy page-turner, gradually revealing dark secrets, uncovering the truth through past conversations and events which leave you fairly surprised. Looking forward to watching the film.
A detective is forced to go back to his roots in this town, and confront his own demons which appears to have a connection to the murder in some shape or form. Here we see farmers reeling from drought and bush fires, making them distraught and antsy by his presence. We see increasing tension and violence as he continues to wade through all of the mysteries, overturning all of their stories, culminating in possible ex-communication.
It is an intriguing tale with the denouement well hidden until the end. The harsh surroundings and the unforgiving characters in the township are well explored and the descriptions are vivid. I read this in two days, as it is an easy page-turner, gradually revealing dark secrets, uncovering the truth through past conversations and events which leave you fairly surprised. Looking forward to watching the film.
AmandaF (4 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017) in Movies
Jan 5, 2018
Grows on you
Contains spoilers, click to show
I can see why this movie gets such a mixed bag with its reviews. There are certainly elements that could make you dislike the movie and those moments will be different for everyone.
Yes Luke seems out of character, but he is older and has made mistakes. He has demons to deal with, he is human is flawed. We just don't always like to see our hero's that way. Leia can tap into the force to save herself from floating into space (the difficult moment for me). There are weird flying space penguins, and the force can let you talk to people across the galaxy.
As a whole though the Last Jedi captures the essence of a Star Wars film. If The Force Awakens was a homage to the original trilogy then this movie is the one clearing the ground for something new. Stars Wars is set in a huge galaxy, the stories cannot always be about Skywalkers. The Last Jedi creates the opening for Rey, Finn and the other new blood to make their own stories.
Yes Luke seems out of character, but he is older and has made mistakes. He has demons to deal with, he is human is flawed. We just don't always like to see our hero's that way. Leia can tap into the force to save herself from floating into space (the difficult moment for me). There are weird flying space penguins, and the force can let you talk to people across the galaxy.
As a whole though the Last Jedi captures the essence of a Star Wars film. If The Force Awakens was a homage to the original trilogy then this movie is the one clearing the ground for something new. Stars Wars is set in a huge galaxy, the stories cannot always be about Skywalkers. The Last Jedi creates the opening for Rey, Finn and the other new blood to make their own stories.
Long winded and dull
Dan Brown is a very divisive author. Most people either love him or hate him, and if I'm being honest, I'm verging more on the latter after reading this.
The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons were fantastic books, but I discovered after reading most of Dan Brown's other books that his writing and plots follow virtually the same paths. And that gets a little boring after a while when it feels like you're reading the same story with slightly different details. And this is the problem with Origin. It's the same old plot structure, but this time with a very dull storyline. It promises us this amazing discovery and builds it up for far too long over the initial 100 pages or so, but then reveals nothing until after 450 pages by which point I was very close to giving up. There wasn't even any tension or thrills during Brown's predictable chase scenes, and the whole story was just beyond dull and predictable. And even the final reveal right at the end, I'd predicted it right from the start. Think I may have to give up reading Dan Brown's books now.
The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons were fantastic books, but I discovered after reading most of Dan Brown's other books that his writing and plots follow virtually the same paths. And that gets a little boring after a while when it feels like you're reading the same story with slightly different details. And this is the problem with Origin. It's the same old plot structure, but this time with a very dull storyline. It promises us this amazing discovery and builds it up for far too long over the initial 100 pages or so, but then reveals nothing until after 450 pages by which point I was very close to giving up. There wasn't even any tension or thrills during Brown's predictable chase scenes, and the whole story was just beyond dull and predictable. And even the final reveal right at the end, I'd predicted it right from the start. Think I may have to give up reading Dan Brown's books now.
Jcadden76 (64 KP) rated Deadpool 2 (2018) in Movies
Jun 11, 2018
The Cast (4 more)
The storyline
The humor
The action
The CGI characters
Better than the original... No really, I mean it.
Liked it better than the original. Still kept the funny coming from every angle, still stayed true to the characters, and it was just a fun comic book movie overall.
Deadpool 2 progresses from the Deadpool in a number of ways. We explore Wade and the rest of the cast in a lot more detail. We also get to see Wade working out his demons with a team of super heroes instead of just by himself for the most of the movie.
Personally, for me, this was the best X-Movie of them all. Better than the originals and maybe only surpassed by Logan on some levels. I really don't think it missed for me at all. Not having Vanessa in it made sense but I did get the reasoning behind it.
Stay until the end. You get a few more scenes and then at the very end you get a reprise of one of the best musical moments in the flick.
Deadpool 2 progresses from the Deadpool in a number of ways. We explore Wade and the rest of the cast in a lot more detail. We also get to see Wade working out his demons with a team of super heroes instead of just by himself for the most of the movie.
Personally, for me, this was the best X-Movie of them all. Better than the originals and maybe only surpassed by Logan on some levels. I really don't think it missed for me at all. Not having Vanessa in it made sense but I did get the reasoning behind it.
Stay until the end. You get a few more scenes and then at the very end you get a reprise of one of the best musical moments in the flick.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Angel's Flight (Legion of Angels, #8) in Books
Jan 9, 2020
This has been borrowed from the Kindle Unlimited library.
This starts from where the last one left off. Leda is now an angel. Pandora, The Angel of Chaos. She is given her own territory but things never run smooth for Leda. There's a plague of issues attacking the New York City office of the Legion, making its members turn on each other and causing mayhem that eventually starts to travel further afield to the Chicago office and beyond. Initially suspecting demons, Leda and the team try to find the cause but there's nothing that stands out. Then Nerissa, the Legion doctor figures it out, taking everyone by surprise.
I don't want to spoil it by going into too much detail, you'll have to read it to see what else happens in this one.
I do enjoy reading this cast of characters. I love Leda and Nero. I've been cheering them on from their first meeting in book 1, so to see them so happy makes me want to squeal in excitement. They are the perfect bad-arse angel couple.
I cannot wait to read more of this series and this couple.
This starts from where the last one left off. Leda is now an angel. Pandora, The Angel of Chaos. She is given her own territory but things never run smooth for Leda. There's a plague of issues attacking the New York City office of the Legion, making its members turn on each other and causing mayhem that eventually starts to travel further afield to the Chicago office and beyond. Initially suspecting demons, Leda and the team try to find the cause but there's nothing that stands out. Then Nerissa, the Legion doctor figures it out, taking everyone by surprise.
I don't want to spoil it by going into too much detail, you'll have to read it to see what else happens in this one.
I do enjoy reading this cast of characters. I love Leda and Nero. I've been cheering them on from their first meeting in book 1, so to see them so happy makes me want to squeal in excitement. They are the perfect bad-arse angel couple.
I cannot wait to read more of this series and this couple.
The Liberty Tree: Drunk to Sober via Love, Death, Disintegration & Freedom
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Suzanne Harrington did all the things that adults do, long before she'd grown up: met Leo, married,...
The Truth of Spirits: A Medium's Journey from Panic to Peace
Carmel Joy Baird and Tiffany Grabski
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World-renowned medium Carmel Joy Baird shares the powerful story of how she overcame extreme panic...
Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Someone Who's Been There
10.0
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Life can be hard: your lover cheats on you, you lose a family member, you can't pay the bills. But...