Betrayal (Infidelity, #1)
9.0
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One week. No future. No past. No more. Alexandria Collins has one week to live carefree—no ghosts...
Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7)
9.4
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Book
Years in the making, Sarah J. Maas’s #1 New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series draws to...
Those Who Are Loved
10.0
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Book
'Victoria Hislop's view of history in her novels is, like the writer herself, a compassionate and...
Historical Fiction Modern Greek History
Guacamelee 2
7.6
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Video Game
Head back to the Mexiverse in this sequel to Guacamelee! Uppercut your way to victory across...
The Raven and the Dove
8.5
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Book
Four fates collide in this avian-inspired, epic fantasy retelling of Tristan and Isolde perfect for...
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Dune (2021) in Movies
Oct 25, 2021
I will start by saying that it's visually stunning. Dune is extremely pleasing to look at from start to finish, from the lush greens and blues of Caladan, to the harsh firey desserts of Arrakis, all of these pallettes jump off the screen. These settings are utilised frequently in countless wide shots and make for do e wonderful vistas. In fact, the whole film is shit beautifully, and I'd expect nothing less from Denis Villeneuve.
All of this works hand in hand with an incredible music score Hans Zimmer. As is standard from Zimmer, every musical point is huge, and turns Dune from a movie into an experience.
The cast is stacked of course. Timothée Chamalet and Rebecca Ferguson absolutely steal the show, and all if the characters are engaging and interesting.
All of this being said, Dune did leave me feeling a little cold. I'm not overly familiar with the source material, so I can accept that I'm not necessarily the target audience, but I felt a lot of the lore was muddied. Maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to fully appreciate the finished product, but I just felt exhausted when the credits rolled, and not in a good way. It's certainly one I'm going to have to revisit to from a proper opinion on.
Despite my reservations, I still appreciate the epic scale of Dune, and I can fully see why it's been getting glowing reviews across the board. Keeping my fingers crossed for part two!
Dagger's Destiny (Curse of Clansmen and Kings #2)
Book
A Celtic warrior princess accused of treason for aiding her enemy lover must win back her father’s...
Historical Fantasy
Merissa (14086 KP) rated Living For the Dead (Lost Woman Lost World #1) in Books
May 8, 2026
Told from Amber's POV, you are taken for one helluva ride as she and the others who fell into the sinkhole try to survive long enough to figure out a way home. There are attacks from giant wolves, a T. rex, and other 'dinosaurs' to contend with, which cause disruption, injuries, and even d3ath. There is also the human side to contend with, where some are only interested in themselves and what they can get.
Some of the characters fall by the wayside, which was unfortunate for me, as I wanted to know if they redeemed themselves. Lenora, I'm looking at you. There is also one character in particular who has decided not to go on the big adventure the others are doing, and remains at the camp. I need to know Joe is okay! I can 100% empathise with him, and I don't want the sabretooth's to get him!!!
It builds up to a big climax, where a choice is given that isn't easy, and they have to decide the best of a bad bunch. It was a fantastic ending, and I can't wait to read more. Definitely recommended by me.
** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 7, 2026
The Undine's Tear (Rise of the Grigori #1)
10.0
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She's destined to save the world . . . if she doesn't destroy it first. Calandra’s destiny is...
Young Adult Fantasy Mythology
You know, the way a lot of fatnsy stories do? Think Luke Skywalker, from the back-planet of Tattoine, or Frodo Baggins from Bagend, to name but two.
Rags to riches, basically.
Anyway, perhaps the key protagonist of this is the keep boy Pug, who, over the course of the story - finds himself a native of two worlds - that's where the 'Rift' from Riftwar comes in, as a magical rift in space connects them - during a time of war between those two planes.
He's not the only protagonist; just the main one - there's also his childhood friend Tomas, the princes Arutha and Lyam, the princess Carline, the magician Kulgan - but Pug is, to my mind, the key character, with most of those other characters introduced through their relationship to him.
Others have commented on the writing style employed by Feist - it may seem 'basic', however that in itself is no bad thing (and, remember, this book is now decades old) as Feist gives you just enough information to envisage your own world. A bit more, perhaps, than the thumbnail sketches of Terry Pratchett (incidentally, one of my favourite authors), but nowhere near the level of detail that JRR Tolkien that could make The Lord of The Rings, well, a bit of a slog at times!