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Quantum Reaction
Book
Life-altering tech is on the horizon, and someone wants it stopped—permanently. Can a murder...
Science Fiction Mystery
Merissa (12066 KP) rated The Old Dragon’s Head in Books
Sep 23, 2022
A fantastic escape to historical China, where the supernatural is natural.
THE OLD DRAGON'S HEAD takes you back in time to the Great Wall of China and you become immersed with the main characters and their search for the truth and justice. Supernatural is natural for those with yin-yang eyes, and the Heavens rule over everything, including day-to-day duties. Karma is not an unknown entity, but something to be respected and even feared.
Told mainly from Bolin, Feng, and Luli's perspectives, you get a well-rounded story that deals with treachery, betrayal, and murder. Our heroes are fallible and things definitely don't go their way all the time.
I must say, I agreed with Luli completely at the end, and it came as a surprise as Abbott Dong had been a level-headed character up to that point.
This was very well-written, with a love of ancient China showing through. The story is intricate and in-depth, whilst being easy to read. A fantastic escape and 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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Told mainly from Bolin, Feng, and Luli's perspectives, you get a well-rounded story that deals with treachery, betrayal, and murder. Our heroes are fallible and things definitely don't go their way all the time.
I must say, I agreed with Luli completely at the end, and it came as a surprise as Abbott Dong had been a level-headed character up to that point.
This was very well-written, with a love of ancient China showing through. The story is intricate and in-depth, whilst being easy to read. A fantastic escape and 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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Trancing the Tiger (Chinese Zodiac Romance, #1)
10.0
Rate It
Book
He's a Tiger. She's a Rabbit. She'll entrance him. He'll devour her. After the Red Death...
Fantasy Romance Chinese Mythology
Merissa (12066 KP) rated Bound to Survive (The Magic Within #1) in Books
Jun 7, 2023
This book will take you back in time to when fantasy stories were epic in every good sense of the word. There is a tale to tell and you will be engrossed and want to stay with the story until it reaches its conclusion.
There are so many interesting characters in here but one who quickly wormed his way into my affections was Clarence. The dignity he showed whilst being held captive was so endearing, I couldn't help but love him. I also loved how we had the backstory incorporated in the tale although admittedly it spun my mind until I realised which time frame I was in.
Heroes with a secret past, baddies with attitude, sorcery, magic, sword and even axe play - they're all here. The world that Sharon has created is full of history and depth. This is Sharon's debut novel which I think is absolutely fantastic. I am looking forward to the release of book 2 in The Magic Within series which should be later this year.
Highly recommended for all fans of fantasy.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 30, 2015
There are so many interesting characters in here but one who quickly wormed his way into my affections was Clarence. The dignity he showed whilst being held captive was so endearing, I couldn't help but love him. I also loved how we had the backstory incorporated in the tale although admittedly it spun my mind until I realised which time frame I was in.
Heroes with a secret past, baddies with attitude, sorcery, magic, sword and even axe play - they're all here. The world that Sharon has created is full of history and depth. This is Sharon's debut novel which I think is absolutely fantastic. I am looking forward to the release of book 2 in The Magic Within series which should be later this year.
Highly recommended for all fans of fantasy.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 30, 2015
Lee KM Pallatina (951 KP) rated the Xbox 360 version of Duke Nukem Forever in Video Games
Mar 20, 2020
Hail to the clone baby
Contains spoilers, click to show
Duke Nukem was originally created in 1987 by chief programmer Todd Replogle of Apogee Software now 3D Realms as the hero the video game titled Metal Future, which was set in the then-near future of 1997.
Duke Nukem's first appearance was in 1997,
Created by George Broussard; Scott Miller; Jim Norwood; Todd Replogle
Dukes last appearance was a Cameo in the 2018 movie Ready Player One.
The character first appeared in the 1991 video game Duke Nukem. He has since starred in multiple sequels developed by 3D Realms. Most recently in Duke Nukem Forever, released by Gearbox Software, which now owns the rights and intellectual property.
Duke Nukem has been listed on many "Best Characters" and "Best Heroes" lists over the years, including being listed as number one in ScrewAttack's "Top 10 Coolest Video Game Characters" list in 2007.
Featuring him in the section "top ten forces of good" in their 2004 list of top 50 retro game heroes, Retro Gamer called Duke "the ultimate cheese hero, and a true remnant of 80’s action flicks. He was listed at number 27 in the "Top 50 Video Game Characters" list by Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2011. GameDaily also ranked him sixth on their list of best anti-heroes in video games. In 2011, Empire ranked him as the 20th greatest video game character, calling him "one of the best action characters ever devised" and adding that "Film might have Schwarzenegger, but Gaming's got Mr Nukem"
Reception of the character by the time of Duke Nukem Forever's release was mostly mixed. Dan Whitehead of Eurogamer elaborated on Duke Nukem's decreased relevance since 1996, and added that the character's "half-hearted digs" at rival franchises were ill-advised due to the game's delayed release (Yet still quite funny).
Duke Nukem had become "a caricature of his former self. crossing the line from charmingly foul-mouthed to obnoxious and embarrassing. Others have been more positive about the character, finding him to be "genuinely hilarious" due to his tongue-in-cheek rejection of video game traditions (such as finding a key to open a door or wearing a special suit of armor) (looking at you Master Chief).
Plot:
Twelve years after he saved the Earth from an alien invasion, Duke Nukem is a worldwide icon, and has achieved great fame from his heroic deeds. After sampling a video game based on his past heroics (the game Duke plays is a revamped version of the final level of the third episode of Duke Nukem 3D), he arrives on the set of a talk show for an interview. On his way to the show, Duke witnesses a news broadcast announcing that aliens have once again invaded. Unlike previous encounters, the aliens initially appear peaceful and at first seem to pose no harm to the humans of Earth.
Duke's talk show appearance is cancelled to allow television stations to cover the alien invasion, and Duke retires to the "Duke Cave", his personal home. There, he receives a call from the President and General Graves of the Earth Defense Force (EDF). The President orders Duke not to harm the invaders, and adds that he is in diplomatic talks with the alien overlord. Duke obliges this request, but he and Graves remain uneasy about the whole situation. Before he can leave his chambers, he is attacked by hostile aliens who are swearing revenge on Duke.
Pig cops, flying Alien brains and a 3 breasted Alien are among the carnage that is a day in the life of the king.
DLC sub plot-
The doctor who cloned me:
After all the negativity duke Nukem forever received, this DLC was released in an attempt to undo some of the damage, this extension had you play as the Real duke, who wakes up to find and army of clones posing as him created by his old nemesis doctor proton, to which you/Nukem must take out all the clones and reclaim your Throne.
(The main game duke was a clone, if I wasn't clear :) )
Duke Nukem's first appearance was in 1997,
Created by George Broussard; Scott Miller; Jim Norwood; Todd Replogle
Dukes last appearance was a Cameo in the 2018 movie Ready Player One.
The character first appeared in the 1991 video game Duke Nukem. He has since starred in multiple sequels developed by 3D Realms. Most recently in Duke Nukem Forever, released by Gearbox Software, which now owns the rights and intellectual property.
Duke Nukem has been listed on many "Best Characters" and "Best Heroes" lists over the years, including being listed as number one in ScrewAttack's "Top 10 Coolest Video Game Characters" list in 2007.
Featuring him in the section "top ten forces of good" in their 2004 list of top 50 retro game heroes, Retro Gamer called Duke "the ultimate cheese hero, and a true remnant of 80’s action flicks. He was listed at number 27 in the "Top 50 Video Game Characters" list by Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2011. GameDaily also ranked him sixth on their list of best anti-heroes in video games. In 2011, Empire ranked him as the 20th greatest video game character, calling him "one of the best action characters ever devised" and adding that "Film might have Schwarzenegger, but Gaming's got Mr Nukem"
Reception of the character by the time of Duke Nukem Forever's release was mostly mixed. Dan Whitehead of Eurogamer elaborated on Duke Nukem's decreased relevance since 1996, and added that the character's "half-hearted digs" at rival franchises were ill-advised due to the game's delayed release (Yet still quite funny).
Duke Nukem had become "a caricature of his former self. crossing the line from charmingly foul-mouthed to obnoxious and embarrassing. Others have been more positive about the character, finding him to be "genuinely hilarious" due to his tongue-in-cheek rejection of video game traditions (such as finding a key to open a door or wearing a special suit of armor) (looking at you Master Chief).
Plot:
Twelve years after he saved the Earth from an alien invasion, Duke Nukem is a worldwide icon, and has achieved great fame from his heroic deeds. After sampling a video game based on his past heroics (the game Duke plays is a revamped version of the final level of the third episode of Duke Nukem 3D), he arrives on the set of a talk show for an interview. On his way to the show, Duke witnesses a news broadcast announcing that aliens have once again invaded. Unlike previous encounters, the aliens initially appear peaceful and at first seem to pose no harm to the humans of Earth.
Duke's talk show appearance is cancelled to allow television stations to cover the alien invasion, and Duke retires to the "Duke Cave", his personal home. There, he receives a call from the President and General Graves of the Earth Defense Force (EDF). The President orders Duke not to harm the invaders, and adds that he is in diplomatic talks with the alien overlord. Duke obliges this request, but he and Graves remain uneasy about the whole situation. Before he can leave his chambers, he is attacked by hostile aliens who are swearing revenge on Duke.
Pig cops, flying Alien brains and a 3 breasted Alien are among the carnage that is a day in the life of the king.
DLC sub plot-
The doctor who cloned me:
After all the negativity duke Nukem forever received, this DLC was released in an attempt to undo some of the damage, this extension had you play as the Real duke, who wakes up to find and army of clones posing as him created by his old nemesis doctor proton, to which you/Nukem must take out all the clones and reclaim your Throne.
(The main game duke was a clone, if I wasn't clear :) )
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated The Avengers (2012) in Movies
Mar 9, 2019 (Updated Jun 20, 2019)
A Blast
I remember the trepidation of going to see Marvel’s The Avengers. Could they really pull a team-up like this off? Could the whole really be a sum of some awesome parts? I wasn’t sure. That trepidation turned into utter lack of interest. X-Men: The Last Stand left a bad taste in my mouth, but the Avengers crew was regaining my interest in the superhero world movie by movie. Good thing I gave the movie a chance because I ended up having the time of my life.
In Marvel’s The Avengers, Earth’s mightiest heroes take on the evil Loki who is hell-bent on world domination.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
The gang’s all here and what a gang. I appreciate that each of these superheroes are battling their own inner demons which affects how their characters interact with the other heroes. it’s what makes them a good team. They come to understand each other’s dysfunctions and deal with it. This is the first movie where you start to see the team use their strengths in tandem and work together as a team. Their initial lack of chemistry is hilarious to watch as they are forced into a unit.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 10
Genre: 10
Bringing all these characters on the big screen at once was a monumental accomplishment. It was a risk that paid off. A damn good movie was made here and deserves a ton of credit for setting a standard in the way superhero movies should be done.
Memorability: 10
Pace: 10
Plot: 10
The story weaves together the backstories of the other characters in seamless fashion. While there aren’t many twists and turns to throw you off or keep you guessing, I would also argue that twists weren’t necessary for a film like this. Tell the story you need to tell and if we can see some awesome superpowered battles along the way, great! Job well done here.
Resolution: 10
Solid ending capped off with some fun end-credit scenes that pave the way for films to come. The entire movie is meant to entertain and I was happy that they finished strong. It’s a capper that leaves you wanting to see these guys team up again.
Overall: 100
Seven years later and the Marvel Cinematic Universe is still going as strong as ever. I’m going to see Captain Marvel tomorrow, a film that wouldn’t even be possible without the success of The Avengers and other lesser-known properties like Guardians of the Galaxy. Seven years later and this movie still never ceases to excite me and make me laugh at the same time.
In Marvel’s The Avengers, Earth’s mightiest heroes take on the evil Loki who is hell-bent on world domination.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
The gang’s all here and what a gang. I appreciate that each of these superheroes are battling their own inner demons which affects how their characters interact with the other heroes. it’s what makes them a good team. They come to understand each other’s dysfunctions and deal with it. This is the first movie where you start to see the team use their strengths in tandem and work together as a team. Their initial lack of chemistry is hilarious to watch as they are forced into a unit.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 10
Genre: 10
Bringing all these characters on the big screen at once was a monumental accomplishment. It was a risk that paid off. A damn good movie was made here and deserves a ton of credit for setting a standard in the way superhero movies should be done.
Memorability: 10
Pace: 10
Plot: 10
The story weaves together the backstories of the other characters in seamless fashion. While there aren’t many twists and turns to throw you off or keep you guessing, I would also argue that twists weren’t necessary for a film like this. Tell the story you need to tell and if we can see some awesome superpowered battles along the way, great! Job well done here.
Resolution: 10
Solid ending capped off with some fun end-credit scenes that pave the way for films to come. The entire movie is meant to entertain and I was happy that they finished strong. It’s a capper that leaves you wanting to see these guys team up again.
Overall: 100
Seven years later and the Marvel Cinematic Universe is still going as strong as ever. I’m going to see Captain Marvel tomorrow, a film that wouldn’t even be possible without the success of The Avengers and other lesser-known properties like Guardians of the Galaxy. Seven years later and this movie still never ceases to excite me and make me laugh at the same time.
City Centre
Simon J. Halliday and Clive Woodward
Book
Simon Halliday has tackled everything that life has thrown at him, be it on the rugby field, or in...
Dictionary of Classical Mythology
Book
Jenny March's acclaimed Dictionary of Classical Mythology, first published in 1998 but long out of...
Iron Marines
Games and Entertainment
App
From the creators of the award winner Kingdom Rush trilogy comes the most extraordinary space...
Mythic Battles: Pantheon
8.0
Rate It
Tabletop Game
Hera, tired of Zeus' infidelity, decides to take her revenge and releases the Titans on Mount...