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Clara (Stories of Lorst #1)
Clara (Stories of Lorst #1)
Suzanna J. Linton | 2013 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Clara (Stories of Lorst #1) by Suzanna J. Linton
Clara is a young girl of ten when we first meet her, enjoying her last day of freedom although she doesn't realise that. Her life is about to change for the worst, but there is also a spark of hope in the form of Emmerich, a gypsy boy she meets. Clara loses many things, including her voice, during her trials and tribulations but it looks like her life is changing for the better when she meets Emmerich again. Is everything as it seems, or has Emmerich changed in ways too many to be ignored?

This is a well-written historical fantasy with a hint of romance. With good guys doing bad things, bad guys turning over new leaves (possibly), plus evil dudes without any form of redemption, this story captured my imagination as I read through.

Well-written and smoothly paced, this was a good, solid book. Definitely recommended.

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
A Red Herring Without Mustard (Flavia de Luce, #3)
A Red Herring Without Mustard (Flavia de Luce, #3)
Alan Bradley | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
A gypsy woman is traveling through the village where eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce lives, and Flavia invites the woman to set up camp in the pasture on the edge of the family property. Late that night, someone attacks the woman, and Flavia feels responsible for figuring out what exactly happened to her guest. Can she do it?

Flavia is a different character for a series aimed at adults, and I find I do enjoy spending time with her. Unfortunately, she can get annoying at times, and I definitely found that the case here as I wanted to slap some sense into her. Other characters tried, so that made me feel better. The story can get a bit bogged down in Flavia’s side stories in the narration, but it was a pleasure seeing how the various threads were all brought together for the climax.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/12/book-review-red-herring-without-mustard.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
The Wolf Man (1941)
The Wolf Man (1941)
1941 | Horror
7
8.1 (9 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The first Universal werewolf film to really make an impression doesn't have the same iconic status as either Frankenstein or Dracula, but is still a much more proficient movie in purely technical terms. Larry Talbot is plunged into a world of misery and horror when he returns to his family home in Wales; many visitors to the principality will probably empathise, but his experience is particularly bad when he is bitten by a gypsy and becomes a werewolf.

Solid story, decently structured; the wolf man make-up is honestly not that great, and neither is Chaney's performance, but the rest of the cast is decent and the plot rattles along. Notable as the film which established the 'rules' of lycanthropy as far as mainstream cinema is concerned. As ever, probably more interesting from a historical point of view than as a genuine piece of entertainment, but still a film which has deservedly resonated in the culture.
  
Two Roads (Gypsy Brothers, #6)
Two Roads (Gypsy Brothers, #6)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
3.5 stars, again.

This series started out as a guilty pleasure, I shouldn't have liked it for what it was about but I couldn't help it. I was completely dragged in and as the plotline has progressed so have the characters.

Julz used to be ruthless but was broken in the last book and has become more emotional(It's unusual after getting used to her in the previous books).

Jase...well I've always loved Jase. He's always come across as a nice guy and different to the rest of his family.

In this, they came together at last and I really liked them together, the times when they were happy. BUT not everything goes as planned and in the way the author has, she's left it on a bit of a cliff-hanger. I really need to read [b:One Love|22736757|One Love (Gypsy Brothers, #7)|Lili St. Germain|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405611736s/22736757.jpg|42275650] to see how everything is going to work out in the last book of the series.
  
Van Helsing (2004)
Van Helsing (2004)
2004 | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
8
6.8 (87 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Cast, acting, graphics/SFX, story (0 more)
Occasional under acting via dialogue. (0 more)
The original beginning of the Dark Universe
In the early 2000s we saw a drop in great movies, even good ones and was left with the occasional sleeper hit and the obvious box office hits.

In 2004 universal released 'Van Helsing', with pretty decent promoting, and some neat casting with rising stars Hugh Jackman & Kate Beckinsale at the helm - with Richard Roxburgh as Dracula (also Robbie Coltrane as Mr Hyde)

The Story:
Van Helsing is on a mission from God, to rid evil from the world. After a 'paris job' goes wrong, Helsing returns to the Vatican to be briefed on this next assignment which sees helsing and his ally and friar named carl heading to Transylvania, to hunt down and kill count Dracula.
Joining forces with a Gypsy Princess named Anna who also seeks to kill Dracula in order to break her family's curse before her bloodline ends allowing her family to enter the kindom of heaven.