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Katie Burrows (1 KP) rated A Court of Frost and Starlight: Court of Thorns and Roses in Books

May 21, 2018

A Court of Frost and Starlight: Court of Thorns and Roses

Sarah J. Maas | 2018 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)

7.4

(35 Ratings)

Book Rating

More time with beloved characters (2 more)

Got to find out more about side character backstories

The development of Feyre's sisters and their post-Cauldron struggles felt realistic and honest

No real point or feeling to the plot (4 more)

3/4 of the way through the book, still not sure what the point is

The sudden decision to write from multiple perspectives in this book (as opposed to just Feyre's) felt cheap

It's a Christmas story that was released May 1st, which was a strange publishing choice

After all the excitement in the precious book, the pace of this one was too slow

Not as exciting as previous installments

I wanted to love this book as much as I loved the third book in the series, but it just wasn't as good. It felt as though the author was maybe forced to publish the next installment of the series even though she didn't have a fully fleshed-out story yet.

While I enjoyed learning the characters' backstories, I was not a fan of how the author switched character perspectives each chapter. It was tedious to keep up with at times, and felt like a forced way to introduce the backstories. In the last installment, the backstories we heard were drawn out by plot and circumstance, which helped drive the story as we learned relevant info at relevant times. In this book it felt as though the revealing of character info was gratuitous, almost an excuse to avoid developing an actual plot.

Speaking of plot, the story was slow (in part because of continually switching between so many character perspectives during the same stretches of time), and because for most of the book nothing important or exciting happens.

The cover art was gorgeous. The dust jacket is absolutely beautiful. But, this is largely a Christmas or winter solstice story, and might have been more aptly published in late fall or closer to the holiday season, rather than the beginning of May.

I would still love to see more books in this series, but only if future installments see a return to the action and intrigue of the first 3 stories.

Kudos

Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Ride Along 2 (2016) in Movies

Aug 6, 2019

Ride Along 2 (2016)

2016 | Action, Comedy

6.2

(5 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Kevin Hart and Ice Cube reprise their roles in Ride Along 2 which hits theaters this weekend. In the sequel, Ben Barber (Kevin Hart) is a rookie cop seeking to prove his worth as he aspires to become a detective like his soon to be brother-in-law James, played by Ice Cube. After a stakeout to catch a local drug dealer doesn’t go as planned, due to Ben’s meddling, the two stumble upon a flash drive which leads them to Miami to investigate further. Once there, they find themselves facing off with an international drug and gun smuggler (Benjamin Bratt) with the help of tough Miami Detective, Maya Cruz (Olivia Munn).

Fans of the first film will not be disappointed in this sequel to the film which introduced us to the bumbling antics of Ben Barber and the seasoned veteran James Payton. Ride Along 2 succeeds where other “Buddy Cop” movies and sequels have failed in the past. There is great chemistry between Hart and Cube. The film features great comedic timing with the characters, as well as, a healthy amount of dramatic and relatable issues throughout. The jokes are fun, and, at times witty. The humor doesn’t look for the cheap laugh by recycling the same jokes from the previous film. The only real problem with the film is that the plot is too similar to the original in a number of ways. Ben finds himself wanting to prove he deserves to be a cop, not only to himself, but to James, as well.

They find themselves trying to bring down a criminal empire all by the end of the week when Ben is set to marry James’ sister. Despite some of the moments being a bit far-fetched, the film does not rely too many references to the original in order for people to follow along with the story. It can easily stand alone. Fans of the first film, as well, as those who love a good Police themed comedy will enjoy the ride. Hopefully, the Brothers-in-law will return for a third film.