David McK (3721 KP) rated King's Man (The Outlaw Chronicles, #3) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
I also read the sequel to <i>Outlaw</i>, <i>Holy Warror</i> - in which Robin and his men travel to the Holy Land to fight in what would become known as the Third Crusade - but found it was not quite as good as its predecessor.
The third novel in the series - <i>King's Man</i> - is a return to form. Set back in England and, like the previous two novels, presented as the elderly Alan Dale retelling the story of his younger days, this novel takes the struggle between Richard the Lionheart and his brother Prince John for the throne as its bedrock. With Richard imprisoned on his return journey home from the Holy Land - a historical fact also used as the basis for the famous novel/film <i>Ivanhoe</i> - the throne of England is left vulnerable. Most of the Robin Hood legends acknowledge this fact; in most of them Robin remains loyal to King Richard, with this novel no exception. As a partial result, Robin is once again outlawed and once again takes up his old ways ...
Looking forward to the next installment!
Maya Angelou: Adventurous Spirit
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A comprehensive biographical and critical reading of the works of American poet and memoirist Maya...
Jack and Hopit, Comrades in Arms: An Officer of the 9th Lancers in the Great War and His War Horse
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A chance discovery of the existence of the gravestone carved with the battle honours of Hopit - the...
Walking to Camelot: A Pilgrimage Along the Macmillan Way Through the Heart of Rural England
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John Cherrington and his 74-year-old walking companion set out one fine morning in May to traverse...
Barry Flanagan: Early Works 1965 - 1982
Clarrie Wallis, Andrew Wilson and Jo Melvin
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The sculptor Barry Flanagan (1941-2009) was best known for his bronze hare sculptures that walk,...
Pathfinder Legends 3.1 the Crimson Throne: Edge of Anarchy
David Bryher, John Ainsworth, Steve Foxon and Wayne Reynolds
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A fresh new adventure from Big Finish and Paizo in a third series of stories based on the popular...
Dracula FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Count from Transylvania
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Dracula FAQ unearths little-known facts about both the historical and literary Dracula. The...
David McK (3721 KP) rated The Mummy Returns (2001) in Movies
Sep 6, 2021 (Updated Sep 3, 2023)
A large part of that appeal was due to his (very) Indiana Jones-alike Rick O'Connell, a role he first portrayed in 1999s The Mummy and reprised in this (which is the middle of the Mummy films).
Unlike the sequel to this, this one also sees the return of Rachel Weisz as his now-wife Evie O'Connell (a role recast in the third film) alongside returning players from the first movie: Arnold Vosloo's Imhotep himself, John Hannah as Evie's no-good brother, Oded Fehr as the Medjai Ardeth Bay - here on the O'Connell's side throughout - and Patricia Velasquez as the reincarnated Anck Su Namun.
As such, there are strong links to the original move here, with this particular entry also seeing Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's breakthrough to acting, as the titular Scorpion King (although some of the later effects haven't aged all that well).
Mostly enjoyable, although (and, IMO, unfortunately), they went down the 'annoying child actor' route, with the whole plot about their child getting kidnapped that kicks the journey into motion ...
ClareR (6101 KP) rated The Battle For England: Women at war in Medieval England (Wars of the Magna Carta #1) in Books
Jan 22, 2019 (Updated Jan 22, 2019)
The years after the Magna Carta was signed were very unsettled. King John had problems with Phillip of France, losing lands in France and allowing the French in to England to take over castles and land by force. With the death of John, his 9 year old son succeeds him and William Marshall becomes his Regent. I have read other books about William Marshall, and what I read here seemed to be in keeping (most writers seem to be in agreement at the kind of man he must have been).
Nicolaa of Lincoln and Matilda of Laxton were not weak females. I really liked how they were portrayed, and I enjoyed reading the chapters from their points of view as it showed how strong and independent they were. I really liked Father Barnards chapters too. It gave an objective look at how these two women reacted in their situations.
I am a real sucker for historical fiction, and I feel that this was a really well researched novel. There was nothing overly sensationalised, which made it more believable for me. I will probably read the next book in this series. I'm interested to see if there is more from these two impressive women.
Many thanks to Sapere Books for a copy of this book to read and review.
The Oxford English Literary History: Volume V: 1645-1714: The Later Seventeenth Century
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The Oxford English Literary History is the new century's definitive account of a rich and diverse...