Search

Search only in certain items:

Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag
Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag
Action/Adventure
I have to say Ubisoft truly redeemed themselves in my eyes with Black Flag. It seems they truly listened to the feedback from fans and Assassin's Creed IV was their heartfelt apology and I gladly accept it. I just finished the game and I loved every minute of it.

A Pirate's Life For Me!

The protagonist Edward Kenway is a great character because he starts off brash and a bit arrogant, but as his adventure continues he evolves into a smarter and more subtle man with a good heart. There are many other fantastic characters including some well known pirates; and lots of adventures on the high seas and around the vast world of this game. The main story is excellent and Edward is complex and interesting; he actually shows emotions and you feel the passion and bravado coming from him. The people he befriends are also memorable along with some pretty diabolical villains which makes for a great story all around.

There are also some great naval battles and here is where I sing the praises of the controls for the ship. They are 100% better than Assassin's Creed III. The controls are easier to use and respond faster too. You can upgrade the Jackdaw (Edward Kenway's ship) with some pretty spiffy hull armor, sails, rigging, weapons and be one hell of a badass with your glorious ship. You can even do some pretty epic battles taking down forts and taking them over. These battles are actually FUN. I know I cackled gleefully in delight as I took down a pirate hunter man o'war battleship and followed it up with an epic battle taking over a fort. It was refreshing to be genuinely enjoying a game and just having a good time with it.

Epic battles at sea are the best!

The world of Assassin's Creed IV is massive; there's lots to see and do and plenty of areas to explore. Sail everywhere in the game because there are so many great things to find such as hidden Mayan temples, ship wrecks full of treasure, and much much more. There are plenty of side quests and side missions to do too and some of them add a bit more to the story of Edward and company. You can even upgrade the various towns and even find new sea shanties for your crew to sing while you're on your adventures. And of course there's the downloadable content and multiplayer to add even more things for you to enjoy in the game.

Discovering new locations like this one is grand!
You do have your time in the real world too with our old friends Abstergo of course, and this aspect while brief is also quite fascinating because you can learn some pivotal plot points about characters from the previous game and run into a few familiar faces as well. I was a little thrown off that it was in first person mode, but the camera was very steady and it's only for a short time; so my vertigo didn't kick in thankfully. There are some brilliant plot reveals too in the real world scenes and there are some mini games here where you can unlock some item trophies and more information for your Animus database.

Remember these jerks? Oh yeah, they're still around.
After finishing it, you can continue the game finishing up any side quests you missed or unlocking achievements with the various mission goals. Overall, Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag is not just an amazing game; it's a great time for anyone who loves the series and enjoys an honest to goodness game about pirates, assassins, and tons of incredible adventures. I know I will be playing through it again because it was that much fun for me. If you haven't picked it up yet, what are you waiting for? There's adventure and glory to be had!
  
VP
Vanishing Point (Nikki Boyd Files #4)
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is my second Nikki Boyd novel and I loved it every bit as much as the last one I read. Ms. Harris is a talented author who knows what to bring to her readers. She blends the heart pounding suspense, the breathtaking twists and the epic chills that make up a perfect suspense novel. The characters she throws into the story really bring it to life, making it play out more like a movie on the big screen than simply a thrilling novel.

Nikki, Garrett and Jordan come together in a wonderfully researched, well thought out novel. This is the back story of Nikki's sister Sarah and what happened to her. Each page turn truly captivated me, wrapping me up in the investigation and the shivering suspense that goes on behind the lines of duty. Throw in to the mix a little romance between two characters, God's unending glory and it rounds it out beautifully.

Ms. Harris takes a topic that isn't easily handled, the disappearance of a loved one, and creates a carefully woven, intricately pieced novel. This book is beyond 5 star worthy, and is one that will be at the top of my recommendation list for many months to come. This book will take you on a highest of high roller coaster ride, twist your gut, squeeze your heart, and the sudden stop at the end.....well, just grab a copy of this book now to see what I'm talking about.
 
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Books and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
  
40x40

Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Paper Towns in Books

Feb 1, 2018  
Paper Towns
Paper Towns
John Green | 2013 | Children
6
7.8 (36 Ratings)
Book Rating
Quentin is a typical high school kid - watching school life from behind the scenes and adoring his neighbor and classmate Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. However, one night Margo pops up in Quentin's window and asks for him to accompany her on a revenge-seeking adventure. They have an epic night and Quentin returns to school the next day, expecting things to have changed. However, Margo never shows up and eventually Quentin realizes she isn't coming back. He finds some supposed clues that lead to her whereabouts and tries to track her down, but suddenly Margo is consuming his entire life.

I'm not exactly sure what I thought about this one. Margo and Quentin's night out was fun to read about, but the book starts to lag after Margo disappears. It seems like Quentin becomes overly obsessed with Margo - to the extreme - and his search takes forever. You never quite realize why Margo is so special. The book picks up at the end, but by then, I was a little jaded.

Also, and this is just my own pet peeve, I dislike reading books after they've already been made into movies, because I can only picture the actors as I read the story, versus my own imagination. Not sure why this bothers me, but it does.

Still, this was a fun story and definitely hilarious at points (I very much love Quentin and his friends), so I think it's worth a read. However, if you're looking to feel as much emotion as say, when reading "The Fault in Our Stars," you'll be a little disappointed.
  
Waking for Winter (Philadelphia Coven Chronicles #4) by Katherine McIntyre
Waking for Winter is the last book in the Philadelphia Coven Chronicles, and this time we meet up with Cami and Dante. Now, Cami is a character we've met throughout the series, whilst Dante is a fairly new one who popped up in Alanna and Sam's story. Interestingly enough, this couple is also the only one who had a previous relationship with each other, although Cami left for her own reasons. Cami is 'haunted' by her experiences at the hands of the Order of the Serpent, and you realise just how much as the story fills out. Dante will do anything to protect Cami. He still loves her, even though he still doesn't know why she left. In this climatic book, all the previous couples play a part, but the spotlight remains on Cami and Dante.

This has one helluva ending, that definitely leaves you wanting more but strangely satisfied with what you have. The usual high quality of writing flows through this book, a standard I now associate with Katherine McIntyre. Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed this book, my favourite of the series has to be Rising for Autumn. However, I would highly recommend you try this series for yourself, and then let me know which is your favourite! An epic ending to a great series that I thoroughly enjoyed. Absolutely recommended by me.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
40x40

Kristin (149 KP) rated Caomhnoir in Books

Dec 7, 2018  
C
Caomhnoir
T. Brady | 2013
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

What would you do if you found out you were the latest in a long line of protectors, sworn to secrecy and to uphold the world as we know it from demonic harm? And you learn all this while still a child. That's what happens in this story, and it's a pretty epic one.

Neil Branch is just a boy one minute, but after meeting a mysterious stranger, he learns that he is destined for far bigger things. He must learn what it means to be the Caomhnoir, the lore that goes with it, and how to protect the world without them every knowing there's something they need to be protected from. Neil becomes career military, and it's during his travels between the last few wars of our time that he picks up on Puck, the one he's meant to destroy. Throughout the novel, we travel back in time to WWII, Korea, and ultimately Vietnam, and we learn along the way how Neil came to be in this position. When the other shoe drops, how will the fight end?

I thought this story was a great trip through history with an awesome paranormal twist. I shared quite a few scenes with my boyfriend, and I found myself on the edge of my seat a few times. The historical aspects are fantastic, the characters are fun, and just the idea behind it is such an interesting one. I would recommend it to paranormal fans, history fans, military fans, and those who like a little world-saving before their afternoon tea. =)

4 1/2 stars