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Half a War (Shattered Sea, Book 3)
Half a War (Shattered Sea, Book 3)
Joe Abercrombie | 2016 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
9.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the third book of the Shattered Sea trilogy and takes place a couple of years after the previous book, Half the World. The long forecast war between Gettland and the High King commences with the High King's champion, Bright Yilling, invading Throvenland. Princess Skara manages to escape to Gettland where she joins the allies so that she can take her homeland back from the invaders.

Father Yarvi is also determined to strike back, to carry out the oath of vengeance he swore against his father's killers. To do this he must defeat Bright Yilling and his army and then take on the High King himself. But just how far is he prepared to go in order to secure victory?

I actually can't say too much in detail about this book without giving anything away. Much like the previous book, this one seems like a fairly conventional epic fantasy style story for a good half. But then Abercrombie starts to twist the knife as the reader's expectations based on the usual fantasy tropes are knocked down one by one.

Certainly there is much here that is unconventional in many ways and I confess to having a rather mad smile on my face at one point due to the utter craziness of what is going on - but Abercrombie handles it well having laid the groundwork well in advance. It is never clear who is going live and who is going to die, and who is going to win and who is going to lose.

After the first two books, which have quite a lot of conversations and philosophy, this is essentailly one long drawn out battle against various parties in various locations. Some battles are fought with swords and others with words, but both are just as deadly for the loser. The fight scenes are very violent and as expected it's pretty grim and dark at times.

There is plenty of scope left at the end for more stories set in the world of the Shattered Sea and these would be welcome but it also clear that the story of Yarvi and his revenge has been completed.

Not the best of the series, the first half is probably too conventional but the second half turns so much on its head it redeems the book completely.

Rating: Lots of violent battles and deaths, some scatalogical phrases and some non-explict sexual scenes. Young Adult but more at the Adult than Young end of that spectrum
  
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Awix (3310 KP) rated Le Dernier Combat (The Final Battle) (1983) in Movies

Apr 16, 2019 (Updated Apr 16, 2019)  
Le Dernier Combat (The Final Battle) (1983)
Le Dernier Combat (The Final Battle) (1983)
1983 | Drama, Sci-Fi
7
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Luc Besson's debut shows his interest in (fairly) high-concept SF and fantasy, ability to tell a story visually, and tendency towards startling excess (although not as much as in some later films). Civilisation has collapsed, the world has run out of colours (everything is in black and white), and some strange phenomenon has destroyed everyone's powers of speech. A wanderer (Jolivet) attempts to defend a hospital from the depredations of a brute (Reno) - given the premise of the film, it's hard to have a plot much more detailed than that.

Filmed on location in disused bits of Paris on a very low budget, the film clearly owes a debt to the likes of the Mad Max films, though it can't replicate their kinetic action. More of a curiosity than anything else, its message - we have to find a way to really communicate if we want to survive - may be a bit glib and simplistic, but this is Besson we're talking about, after all. Definitely stylish, and with enough unexpected touches to keep it quite watchable.
  
Shady Lady (Corine Solomon, #3)
Shady Lady (Corine Solomon, #3)
Ann Aguirre | 2011 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I have to give a fairly high rating to a book that involves a woman who largely saves herself from multiple assassins (natural and supernatural) sent by the head of a drug cartel. There are sexy men in her life (three, in fact), but she's definitely the heroine here, not a clinging vine. That's a refreshing approach.

To be honest I don't think this book should be shelved with paranormal romances at all. It deserves to be called urban fantasy, or something along those lines, because relationships are not the main focus of the plot.

Corine has changed a great deal from the beginning of the series, and we learn much more about her background in this volume, explaining some of her behavior. The exposition is never tiresome or without reason — it's worked into the plot very nicely. I enjoy seeing character development, and getting more of the "why" helps the reader make sense of her decisions.

This volume feels like the end of the series, but it was a nice little trilogy and well worth reading.
  
Accidentally Perfect
Accidentally Perfect
Elizabeth Stevens | 2018 | Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Rom-com love story (1 more)
Relatable
I absolutely LOVED this book!
I absolutely LOVED this book!

Piper and Roman we're perfection, there story was very believable despite the fact that it was a tad cliche, but maybe that's exactly what made it so amazing.

I started reading this book last night around ten and had to literally force myself to close the book and go to sleep at 4 am. Soon as I woke up I picked it up again and finished it and I was not dissapointed.

Piper is a relatable character, the fact she loves rom-coms and John Cusack is her favorite (because he's also mine) made for a connection to her that I rarely get with characters. This story was my high school fantasy and it was written out beautifully.

Honestly, I can't rave about this book enough. I will be re-reading it because this is my new rom-coms read and I can't wait to see Piper and Roman again.

I recieved a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.