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James Koppert (2698 KP) rated Into The Crooked Place (Into The Crooked Place #1) in Books
Nov 13, 2019
I wanted this book to be good, its a bit like when you bake a cake and you have all the finest ingredients and the baker is brilliant as well but just somehow it doesn't quite come out as good as one would hope.
The setting, the characters and the basic plot really does work. This is a book about organised crime in a post war world full of different races of people, some of whom who craft magic who have been all but wiped out, warriors who protected them and ordinary people all of whom sit underneath the organised crime of the kingpin and his underbosses. The story focuses on the underboss Wesley and his crew of strong female characters, the warrior Karam, the secret crafter Saxony and Tavia the busker who sells the boss' magic and all of whom are pretty good in a scrap.
The characters are well created and you can visualise them easily on the pages. The adventure they go on has you rooting for them and the world is an exciting one that does hold enormous potential to be lost in. It is all however a little too dragged out.
As you can see this is the first in the series and the book very much does just tell the first part of the adventure, which is full of magic, betrayal, violence and even some glimmers of romance and yes, it does get very exciting and page turning in some parts, but considering this is only part of the story it could have done with being 150 pages shorter than it was. It just all seemed far more drawn out than it needed to be and let it down slightly. Because of this I was pleased to reach the end instead of being excited to pick up the next part which is a shame because Christo has created characters and a world which deserve to be explored and travelled in. Lets hope Into the Crooked Place number 2 allows this to become the cake it should be.
The setting, the characters and the basic plot really does work. This is a book about organised crime in a post war world full of different races of people, some of whom who craft magic who have been all but wiped out, warriors who protected them and ordinary people all of whom sit underneath the organised crime of the kingpin and his underbosses. The story focuses on the underboss Wesley and his crew of strong female characters, the warrior Karam, the secret crafter Saxony and Tavia the busker who sells the boss' magic and all of whom are pretty good in a scrap.
The characters are well created and you can visualise them easily on the pages. The adventure they go on has you rooting for them and the world is an exciting one that does hold enormous potential to be lost in. It is all however a little too dragged out.
As you can see this is the first in the series and the book very much does just tell the first part of the adventure, which is full of magic, betrayal, violence and even some glimmers of romance and yes, it does get very exciting and page turning in some parts, but considering this is only part of the story it could have done with being 150 pages shorter than it was. It just all seemed far more drawn out than it needed to be and let it down slightly. Because of this I was pleased to reach the end instead of being excited to pick up the next part which is a shame because Christo has created characters and a world which deserve to be explored and travelled in. Lets hope Into the Crooked Place number 2 allows this to become the cake it should be.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Replacement ( A Culling of Blood and Magic book 1) in Books
Dec 2, 2022
216 of 230
Kindle
The Replacement ( A Culling of Blood and Magic book 1)
By K.M. Rives
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
She was never meant to be a member of the Culling. He was never supposed to find his mate. Fate stepped in to ensure both.
There was only one reason the bond would choose Emery Montgomery. Her twin was dead. As soon as the silver band of the Culling appeared on her wrist, binding her to the vampire prince himself, her world turned upside down.
Forced to compete for the heart of her enemy in an archaic version of The Bachelor, Emery had only three things on her mind: Keep her witch heritage a secret, find her sister's murderer, and above all, don’t fall for the sinfully handsome prince.
August Nicholson wanted nothing to do with the pompously groomed women in his Culling, that was, until Emery showed up. She was unlike any other, calmed the dark twisted side of him few knew existed.
Instantly drawn to her, August must struggle against her intoxicating presence, because while he may want her for himself, he needs her to play her part to protect his family more.
Together, Emery and August must fight their feelings and find the culprit behind her twin’s murder, because if the Montgomery women were being hunted, Emery was next.
Took me a while to find a flow with this book but once I had it was really good. It had this strange feel of medieval castle with Kings and Princes mixed with the modern world very strange world building but I really liked it. The characters are fun and you find yourself fully invested towards the end. Highly recommended.
Kindle
The Replacement ( A Culling of Blood and Magic book 1)
By K.M. Rives
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
She was never meant to be a member of the Culling. He was never supposed to find his mate. Fate stepped in to ensure both.
There was only one reason the bond would choose Emery Montgomery. Her twin was dead. As soon as the silver band of the Culling appeared on her wrist, binding her to the vampire prince himself, her world turned upside down.
Forced to compete for the heart of her enemy in an archaic version of The Bachelor, Emery had only three things on her mind: Keep her witch heritage a secret, find her sister's murderer, and above all, don’t fall for the sinfully handsome prince.
August Nicholson wanted nothing to do with the pompously groomed women in his Culling, that was, until Emery showed up. She was unlike any other, calmed the dark twisted side of him few knew existed.
Instantly drawn to her, August must struggle against her intoxicating presence, because while he may want her for himself, he needs her to play her part to protect his family more.
Together, Emery and August must fight their feelings and find the culprit behind her twin’s murder, because if the Montgomery women were being hunted, Emery was next.
Took me a while to find a flow with this book but once I had it was really good. It had this strange feel of medieval castle with Kings and Princes mixed with the modern world very strange world building but I really liked it. The characters are fun and you find yourself fully invested towards the end. Highly recommended.
Rebel Jewel (Jewel Chronicles #3)
8.0
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Book
The people of Natale have long suffered under the tyranny of the Elders. Now, they are ready to...
Fantasy Romance
Awix (3310 KP) rated Jason and the Argonauts (1963) in Movies
Oct 5, 2019 (Updated Oct 5, 2019)
Corny but much-loved mythological fantasy film. Jason and his men go in search of a magic sheepskin, occasionally with the aid of the gods but without the assistance of modern special effects. A strong, mostly British cast do the usual sterling work while imported stars Todd Armstrong and Nancy Kovack stand around being obviously dubbed.
The script is, to be honest, all over the place: it's episodic, the writers seem to have been making it up as they went (the most memorable character wanders out of the movie half way through), and Jason doesn't actually complete the mission he sets himself at the start (maybe they were hoping for a sequel). However, for a bad movie this has some of the most wonderful special effects ever put on celluloid, namely Ray Harryhausen's brilliant hand-crafted animation. Any amount of stodgy non-acting and dubious costume design would be a small price to pay for sequences like the ones with the bronze titan Talos, the Hydra, or the mob of skeletons at the end (the skeleton battle is such a breathtaking achievement it should really be playing on loop in art galleries around the world). They don't make them like this any more. Even the bad bits are kind of bad in a good way.
The script is, to be honest, all over the place: it's episodic, the writers seem to have been making it up as they went (the most memorable character wanders out of the movie half way through), and Jason doesn't actually complete the mission he sets himself at the start (maybe they were hoping for a sequel). However, for a bad movie this has some of the most wonderful special effects ever put on celluloid, namely Ray Harryhausen's brilliant hand-crafted animation. Any amount of stodgy non-acting and dubious costume design would be a small price to pay for sequences like the ones with the bronze titan Talos, the Hydra, or the mob of skeletons at the end (the skeleton battle is such a breathtaking achievement it should really be playing on loop in art galleries around the world). They don't make them like this any more. Even the bad bits are kind of bad in a good way.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated In His Command (Don't Tell, #1) in Books
Sep 6, 2019
**I received this copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
I read books for the romance and I'll tell you now, this was full of it, which is why I liked it so much. Normally when I read a MM book, it's more concentrating on the sex, whereas this one concentrated on the relationship and how it grew from mistrust into love. It was so sweet in places and I was bawling for a while near the end.
I liked both of the main characters and how they acted around each other. They were both great guys who'd had to put up with a lot of crap in the past and when they finally got it together I was almost cheering.
Liz, Caspar's best friend and one of his Lieutenants, was also a cool character and though I thought we'd never see her again after they left Alpha, she makes another appearance near the end, which also had me smiling.
I should probably point out that it does concentrate more on the romance and it's progression that the dystopian world but it's still a good tale if you don't mind that minor detail.
If you like MM Romances that actually focus on the romance, then this shouldn't be missed. I recommend it.
I read books for the romance and I'll tell you now, this was full of it, which is why I liked it so much. Normally when I read a MM book, it's more concentrating on the sex, whereas this one concentrated on the relationship and how it grew from mistrust into love. It was so sweet in places and I was bawling for a while near the end.
I liked both of the main characters and how they acted around each other. They were both great guys who'd had to put up with a lot of crap in the past and when they finally got it together I was almost cheering.
Liz, Caspar's best friend and one of his Lieutenants, was also a cool character and though I thought we'd never see her again after they left Alpha, she makes another appearance near the end, which also had me smiling.
I should probably point out that it does concentrate more on the romance and it's progression that the dystopian world but it's still a good tale if you don't mind that minor detail.
If you like MM Romances that actually focus on the romance, then this shouldn't be missed. I recommend it.
I Feel So Good: The Life and Times of Big Bill Broonzy
Peter Guralnick, Bob Riesman and Pete Townshend
Book
A major figure in American blues and folk music, Big Bill Broonzy (1903-58) left his Arkansas Delta...
The Hangman's Hitch: Where Evil Lurks Closer Than You Think
10.0
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Book
The Hangman's Hitch. The inn at the end of your world. Where satanic practice is the order of the...
Erika (17789 KP) rated True Blood - Season 3 in TV
Sep 5, 2020 (Updated Sep 5, 2020)
Not my favorite season; this season introduces trashy werewolves into the True Blood universe.
The first few scenes take care of the last season's cliffhanger, showing who kidnapped Bill. It's not really clear as to why he was kidnapped at first, but we get an introduction into the world of Vampire Kings and Queens of the states.
I really don't care about Tara, I find her completely annoying. Eggs bites, accidentally shot by Jason, and the subsequent coverup as Andy takes responsibility. Hey, it's just a cop killing a dude. Tara, of course, goes off the deep end, she is the most annoying, unstable character in the entire series.
The most interesting part of this season was learning more about Eric.
We also FINALLY know what Suki is, to which her response is: How f-cking lame. I agree Sookie.
Again, another cliffhanger, but that's the MO. I think the only reason I moved onto the 4th season was to figure out where Sookie actually went. Luckily, the 4th season is much better.
The first few scenes take care of the last season's cliffhanger, showing who kidnapped Bill. It's not really clear as to why he was kidnapped at first, but we get an introduction into the world of Vampire Kings and Queens of the states.
I really don't care about Tara, I find her completely annoying. Eggs bites, accidentally shot by Jason, and the subsequent coverup as Andy takes responsibility. Hey, it's just a cop killing a dude. Tara, of course, goes off the deep end, she is the most annoying, unstable character in the entire series.
The most interesting part of this season was learning more about Eric.
We also FINALLY know what Suki is, to which her response is: How f-cking lame. I agree Sookie.
Again, another cliffhanger, but that's the MO. I think the only reason I moved onto the 4th season was to figure out where Sookie actually went. Luckily, the 4th season is much better.
Soul Suites
4.5
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Homeless people are vanishing from the streets of Chicago. No one gives the disappearances a second...