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The Mark of the Salamander (The Island of Angels, #1)
Book
1575: Nelan Michaels is a young Flemish man fleeing religious persecution in the Spanish...
Historical Fiction
Caledonian Road
10.0
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Book
From the author of Mayflies, an irresistible, unputdownable, state-of-the-nation novel - the story...
Rebellion (Eagles of the Empire #22)
8.0
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Book
1st-century Britannia is the setting for an epic and action-packed novel of tribal uprisings,...
DuckTales: Remastered
Games and Entertainment
App
One of the most cherished 8-bit titles of all time returns with the mobile release of DuckTales:...
Ross (3284 KP) rated Legacy of Ash in Books
Dec 21, 2020
Epic but too lengthy
A very ambitious debut novel, epic in scope, cast of characters and plot. However, I found myself struggling to pick it up too often.
The book takes place in an empire with far-from-happy constituent parts and angry neighbours. The heirs of the traitorous Southweald "phoenix" are held captive as figureheads warning off any thoughts of rebellion. Meanwhile, a cliched corrupt council tries to keep the empire safe from impending invasion.
The book is filled with interesting magical creatures and abilities, with a demon, witches, crow-themed goth assassins and ancient spirits. These were at the fore nowhere near often enough, treated as curses and cast aside in favour of political plotting and old fashioned battle.
The first third of the book was awesome: learning about the richness of the world, its history, politics and magic. It really was set up to be an epic story of political intrigue, deception, plotting and underhand nastiness.
Sadly, this all lead to a battle sequence that lasted far too long. It was really like Joe Abercrombie had taken one of the First Law books and shoved The Heroes into the middle of it. I really struggled to get past this long, fairly boring conflict.
The second half of the book then calms down and focuses once again before taking a massive left-turn and changing to something very different.
As with many books of this size, the cast was massive and a number of characters not distinct enough to remember by name. And so many had such promising abilities to offer but were largely absent when they would have been so useful. It was like having a superstar in an amateur dramatic society and leaving them out of most of the script. Having said that, I once saw a pantomime with David Van Day in the cast and it was in everyone's best interests that he was largely absent.
The book finished well, but it was an 800-page book that read like a 1200-page one, taking me 5 weeks to read.
The book takes place in an empire with far-from-happy constituent parts and angry neighbours. The heirs of the traitorous Southweald "phoenix" are held captive as figureheads warning off any thoughts of rebellion. Meanwhile, a cliched corrupt council tries to keep the empire safe from impending invasion.
The book is filled with interesting magical creatures and abilities, with a demon, witches, crow-themed goth assassins and ancient spirits. These were at the fore nowhere near often enough, treated as curses and cast aside in favour of political plotting and old fashioned battle.
The first third of the book was awesome: learning about the richness of the world, its history, politics and magic. It really was set up to be an epic story of political intrigue, deception, plotting and underhand nastiness.
Sadly, this all lead to a battle sequence that lasted far too long. It was really like Joe Abercrombie had taken one of the First Law books and shoved The Heroes into the middle of it. I really struggled to get past this long, fairly boring conflict.
The second half of the book then calms down and focuses once again before taking a massive left-turn and changing to something very different.
As with many books of this size, the cast was massive and a number of characters not distinct enough to remember by name. And so many had such promising abilities to offer but were largely absent when they would have been so useful. It was like having a superstar in an amateur dramatic society and leaving them out of most of the script. Having said that, I once saw a pantomime with David Van Day in the cast and it was in everyone's best interests that he was largely absent.
The book finished well, but it was an 800-page book that read like a 1200-page one, taking me 5 weeks to read.
KalJ95 (25 KP) rated God of War in Video Games
Jan 3, 2020
The most gripping and emotionally engaging narrative in years. (2 more)
Combat is brutal and satisfying.
The one take camera is an astonishing achievement.
Powerful Playstation Epic.
Back in 2015, gaming hit its peak, and the new generation really came into full effect. Bloodborne, MGS V: The Phantom Pain, Rise of the Tomb Raider, just some games to hit the same year, but what really made me question just how incredible video games could become, was The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Since then, I found games that reached similar levels, but never peaked as much as that. Until God of War.
God of War engaged with me so much because at the time I was trying with my other half to have a child, and persistent family issues meant I no longer spoke to my father. Following the story of Kratos and Atreus really hit home, and I've never felt so gripped and emotionally attached to fictional characters. Every beat of the narrative is put there to for purpose, and to carry weight along this epic journey with a father and son. It packs so much intensity at times it becomes enthralling, almost addictive to continue its 25 hour length. This, I suppose, you could say is it's one part of two contained within the game.
Of course, there are levels upon levels to examine within this masterpiece, but simplifying it within two aspects seems the most appropriate way. The second is the combat.
God of War is brutal, bloody, bold. The simplicity to master the move sets is so brilliant and often bonkers. Throwing your trusty Leviathan Axe, and calling it back never, ever gets boring, and pushes you to become more intelligent with its system. The more the game enters its next stage, a curveball hits you, and you have to learn what you know already, and add even more creativity. By the end, you should be an expert. That is until you meet the Queen Valkyrie. That's all I'll say.
God of War is a masterpiece. Sure, there could of been a little more meat on the bone when it came to the endgame, more side mission content. But the story is so perfect, so masterful, it deserves every bit of praise it gathers.
God of War engaged with me so much because at the time I was trying with my other half to have a child, and persistent family issues meant I no longer spoke to my father. Following the story of Kratos and Atreus really hit home, and I've never felt so gripped and emotionally attached to fictional characters. Every beat of the narrative is put there to for purpose, and to carry weight along this epic journey with a father and son. It packs so much intensity at times it becomes enthralling, almost addictive to continue its 25 hour length. This, I suppose, you could say is it's one part of two contained within the game.
Of course, there are levels upon levels to examine within this masterpiece, but simplifying it within two aspects seems the most appropriate way. The second is the combat.
God of War is brutal, bloody, bold. The simplicity to master the move sets is so brilliant and often bonkers. Throwing your trusty Leviathan Axe, and calling it back never, ever gets boring, and pushes you to become more intelligent with its system. The more the game enters its next stage, a curveball hits you, and you have to learn what you know already, and add even more creativity. By the end, you should be an expert. That is until you meet the Queen Valkyrie. That's all I'll say.
God of War is a masterpiece. Sure, there could of been a little more meat on the bone when it came to the endgame, more side mission content. But the story is so perfect, so masterful, it deserves every bit of praise it gathers.
Jade Empire™: Special Edition
Games
App
Jade Empire: Special Edition is an award-winning action RPG from the makers of Dragon Age and Mass...
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Epic Crush of Genie Lo (The Epic Crush of Genie Lo #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
<i>The Epic Crush of Genie Lo</i> comes out next week! I repeat, NEXT WEEK! F. C. Yee’s debut novel might be my favorite book of this year, taking a spot right next to <i>I Believe In a Thing Called Love</i> and <i>When Dimple Met Rishi</i>.
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><b>Here's why you, as a fabulous bookworm, need to check out Yee’s debut novel when it hits shelves next week (and if you can't afford it, request away at the library!):</b></h4>
<b>Chinese Mythology</b> - As someone who is Chinese, I am ALWAYS on the lookout for Chinese representation in the books I read. <i>The Epic Crush of Genie Lo</i> focuses on a particular story, but those who are unfamiliar with Chinese Mythology will find the explanations included not overbearing.
<b>Hilarious </b>- Genie Lo is hilarious, and I swear 80% of my reading notes contain laughing emojis. There is never a dull moment in this book - every scene has a line that will have you laughing out loud, or trying hard not to laugh in public (I get embarrassed).
<b>Breaking Stereotypes</b> - I am SO glad there is a book out there breaking stereotypes. Genie Lo is tall and angry, something not typically associated with Asians. We're not all small and docile - we have claws, too!
<b>Just A Little Bit of Romance</b> - I am not a romantic person, but I loved the developing relationship between Genie and transfer student Quentin. It's not taking over the overall plot and action, and their interactions are entertaining to read as well.
<b>Relatable </b>- I'm not saying Genie Lo is relatable because she's Chinese like me. She's relatable to all of us - the ones who have gone through or will go through the struggles of junior/senior year of college: choosing the right college, writing the best essay possible, striving for good grades and scores, etc. There aren't many books in the YA category that deals with characters fighting demons while they're stressing over schoolwork and everything else at the same time.
With action and fantasy set in the modern world and comedic lines, <i>The Epic Crush of Genie Lo </i>deserves all the hype it has been getting the book community and so much more.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/the-epic-crush-of-genie-lo-by-fc-yee/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<i>The Epic Crush of Genie Lo</i> comes out next week! I repeat, NEXT WEEK! F. C. Yee’s debut novel might be my favorite book of this year, taking a spot right next to <i>I Believe In a Thing Called Love</i> and <i>When Dimple Met Rishi</i>.
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><b>Here's why you, as a fabulous bookworm, need to check out Yee’s debut novel when it hits shelves next week (and if you can't afford it, request away at the library!):</b></h4>
<b>Chinese Mythology</b> - As someone who is Chinese, I am ALWAYS on the lookout for Chinese representation in the books I read. <i>The Epic Crush of Genie Lo</i> focuses on a particular story, but those who are unfamiliar with Chinese Mythology will find the explanations included not overbearing.
<b>Hilarious </b>- Genie Lo is hilarious, and I swear 80% of my reading notes contain laughing emojis. There is never a dull moment in this book - every scene has a line that will have you laughing out loud, or trying hard not to laugh in public (I get embarrassed).
<b>Breaking Stereotypes</b> - I am SO glad there is a book out there breaking stereotypes. Genie Lo is tall and angry, something not typically associated with Asians. We're not all small and docile - we have claws, too!
<b>Just A Little Bit of Romance</b> - I am not a romantic person, but I loved the developing relationship between Genie and transfer student Quentin. It's not taking over the overall plot and action, and their interactions are entertaining to read as well.
<b>Relatable </b>- I'm not saying Genie Lo is relatable because she's Chinese like me. She's relatable to all of us - the ones who have gone through or will go through the struggles of junior/senior year of college: choosing the right college, writing the best essay possible, striving for good grades and scores, etc. There aren't many books in the YA category that deals with characters fighting demons while they're stressing over schoolwork and everything else at the same time.
With action and fantasy set in the modern world and comedic lines, <i>The Epic Crush of Genie Lo </i>deserves all the hype it has been getting the book community and so much more.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/the-epic-crush-of-genie-lo-by-fc-yee/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Napoleon (2023) in Movies
Dec 6, 2023
Whole Does Not Equal The Sum of it's Parts
The new Epic Motion Picture NAPOLEON is the perfect example of the term “the whole does not equal the sum of the parts”. There are some very, very good items in this film, they just don’t combine to make a Motion Picture above the average.
Directed by Ridley Scott (GLADIATOR), NAPOLEON tells the tale of the titular Frenchman who rises to great power only to fall to great defeat. It is a story ripe for a fascinating film, this just isn’t that film.
There are many, many things that work in this movie, like the performance of Oscar Winner Joaquin Phoenix (THE JOKER) as Napoleon. He plays him as an enigmatic figure who is over-compensating for a lack of…something. Bravery? Self-Confidence? Height? That’s the problem, the film never delves into it, it just gives us a quirky character - strongly played by Phoenix - who is, obviously, using his power and skills as a General to cover up a flaw…whatever that is.
Vanessa Kirby (Oscar Nominated for PIECES OF A WOMAN a few years back) is equally strong and enigmatic as Napoleon’s Empress, Josephine. Kirby’s performance is, probably, the strongest in the film as she plays Josephine as strong and independent, living by her own rules and knowing that she has the powerful Napoleon at her beck-and-call. But, again, we never really find out the person behind the facade and her scenes with Phoenix/Napoleon fall flat for there never is any really love or passion between the 2 of them, just a “baby boy” fawning all over Josephine and a manipulative (we think) social climber using this “baby boy”.
4x Oscar Nominee (but never a winner) Ridley Scott (GLADIATOR) knows how to produce an EPIC and he puts together some EPIC Battle Scenes and Napoleon’s Emperor Inauguration scene is one to behold (which is why you should see this film on the largest screen possible) but these scenes seem isolated and separated from the rest of the film.
And, there, is where the problem of the film is. We have an interesting performance by Phoenix, a strong performance by Kirby and EPIC scenes from Scott, but they all seem isolated and in their own film and never quite gel together to build any emotional connection. All seem cold, flat and calculated. There is none of the passion that Napoleon says he has for France.
Go to marvel at the craft of the film, leave feeling unfulfilled, emotionally by NAPOLEON.
Letter Grade: B-
6 Stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Directed by Ridley Scott (GLADIATOR), NAPOLEON tells the tale of the titular Frenchman who rises to great power only to fall to great defeat. It is a story ripe for a fascinating film, this just isn’t that film.
There are many, many things that work in this movie, like the performance of Oscar Winner Joaquin Phoenix (THE JOKER) as Napoleon. He plays him as an enigmatic figure who is over-compensating for a lack of…something. Bravery? Self-Confidence? Height? That’s the problem, the film never delves into it, it just gives us a quirky character - strongly played by Phoenix - who is, obviously, using his power and skills as a General to cover up a flaw…whatever that is.
Vanessa Kirby (Oscar Nominated for PIECES OF A WOMAN a few years back) is equally strong and enigmatic as Napoleon’s Empress, Josephine. Kirby’s performance is, probably, the strongest in the film as she plays Josephine as strong and independent, living by her own rules and knowing that she has the powerful Napoleon at her beck-and-call. But, again, we never really find out the person behind the facade and her scenes with Phoenix/Napoleon fall flat for there never is any really love or passion between the 2 of them, just a “baby boy” fawning all over Josephine and a manipulative (we think) social climber using this “baby boy”.
4x Oscar Nominee (but never a winner) Ridley Scott (GLADIATOR) knows how to produce an EPIC and he puts together some EPIC Battle Scenes and Napoleon’s Emperor Inauguration scene is one to behold (which is why you should see this film on the largest screen possible) but these scenes seem isolated and separated from the rest of the film.
And, there, is where the problem of the film is. We have an interesting performance by Phoenix, a strong performance by Kirby and EPIC scenes from Scott, but they all seem isolated and in their own film and never quite gel together to build any emotional connection. All seem cold, flat and calculated. There is none of the passion that Napoleon says he has for France.
Go to marvel at the craft of the film, leave feeling unfulfilled, emotionally by NAPOLEON.
Letter Grade: B-
6 Stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Ross (3284 KP) rated The Unspoken Name in Books
Mar 2, 2020
Interesting story in an unusual world
The Unspoken Name is a fantasy story in one of the most unusual settings I have come across. The world is divided into a number of different "worlds", each reached through portals. Travel between worlds requires some form of floating ship to travel through the Maze, a sort of empty dimension between worlds. And within those worlds, we have two main races (I think!), the more insular, religious sect of orcs (far more civilised than your standard orc) and the "more human" race (I picture them as human but there was something about their ears that kept being mentioned that I ended up picturing them like Thundercats!).
Csorwe, an "orc", was chosen at birth to be sacrificed to the Unspoken One on her 14th birthday, something she has come to terms with, and other than the occasional time when she is possessed by the God in order to give people visions of the future, this is her lot in life. Until that fateful day comes when she is persuaded to leave what was to become her tomb and instead to become an assistant to the powerful magician Sethannai. Meanwhile, Shuthmili is a young trainee magician looking for historical relics while waiting to be summoned to take her place in one of a number of "hive minds" and serve her country. The characters cross paths searching for the Reliquary of an infamous magician.
So much of this world was left to the reader to work out for themselves. While I am keen to visualise things for myself, here there was a little too much left to imagination. The world felt confusing at time, undefined at others, and it did impact my sense of immersion and enjoyment of the book.
The story starts strongly, with some excellent passages, followed by massive jumps in time on journeys and through the world. This was a relief for me, having been burned by a number of books that described every single step, meal and encounter ad nauseam. It really felt like the author had a desire to tell an epic story but without the need for detailed narrative, a welcome mindset.
However, this trailed off after the first third, and the pace grinded to a crawl, with every interaction taking long rambling chapters to happen.
The characters in the story are all well defined and the reader finds themselves liking/loathing them as required.
The story for me was a little all over the place. We had one overarching story but a number of mini stories in order to achieve that and I really did find myself struggling to remember who was where, doing what and why. While I did enjoy the read, the pacing issues and unclear missions hit me hard.
Csorwe, an "orc", was chosen at birth to be sacrificed to the Unspoken One on her 14th birthday, something she has come to terms with, and other than the occasional time when she is possessed by the God in order to give people visions of the future, this is her lot in life. Until that fateful day comes when she is persuaded to leave what was to become her tomb and instead to become an assistant to the powerful magician Sethannai. Meanwhile, Shuthmili is a young trainee magician looking for historical relics while waiting to be summoned to take her place in one of a number of "hive minds" and serve her country. The characters cross paths searching for the Reliquary of an infamous magician.
So much of this world was left to the reader to work out for themselves. While I am keen to visualise things for myself, here there was a little too much left to imagination. The world felt confusing at time, undefined at others, and it did impact my sense of immersion and enjoyment of the book.
The story starts strongly, with some excellent passages, followed by massive jumps in time on journeys and through the world. This was a relief for me, having been burned by a number of books that described every single step, meal and encounter ad nauseam. It really felt like the author had a desire to tell an epic story but without the need for detailed narrative, a welcome mindset.
However, this trailed off after the first third, and the pace grinded to a crawl, with every interaction taking long rambling chapters to happen.
The characters in the story are all well defined and the reader finds themselves liking/loathing them as required.
The story for me was a little all over the place. We had one overarching story but a number of mini stories in order to achieve that and I really did find myself struggling to remember who was where, doing what and why. While I did enjoy the read, the pacing issues and unclear missions hit me hard.