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Marabel and the Book of Fate
Marabel and the Book of Fate
Tracy Barrett | 2018 | Children, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was the first Tracy Barrett novel that I have read and I have to say I'm really impressed. This book has all of the elements I love mashed into one story. On this middle grade adventure book you get to explore the kingdom of Magikos. Magikos is a magic free kingdom. The only magic that is allowed are the "Evils" (AKA magical creatures) that are kept in Zoos, and stables. If you want to experience magic you have to go to the Barrens. The Barrens are where you'll find all sorts of fantastical creatures including but not limited to faeries, ogres, dragons, and giants.

The plot was well thought out and developed and it was fun to join Marabel on her journey through the Barrens. I could go into more depth but I fear that it might contain spoilers so I will just say, that I enjoyed the girl power nature of this book.

Something else that I liked were the characters. Many times an author will make the rightful heir hated and a jerk, what I liked is that Marco was lovable. He seemed to truly care about Marabel and was a good brother. I loved it. Marabel was lovable as well and though there were times where she could have been self pitting she never once stopped with her adventure. My only issue was that the characters didn't have much depth to them. I would have loved to see more growth in all of the characters.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. I'm giving it 4 stars because I loved the fast paced nature of the book but I also wanted a little more depth.
  
A Throne of Swans
A Throne of Swans
Katharine Corr, Elizabeth Corr | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
A Throne of Swans is set in a kingdom where the nobility have the ability to change in to giant birds. Aderyn prematurely takes over the role of Protector of Atratys, a dominion within this kingdom, after her fathers death. Her ancestral bird is a swan, but she finds that she’s no longer able to transform into one, after she and her mother are attacked by hawks - and her mother is murdered. This is a very dangerous position to be in. As one of the flightless, she could have Atratys taken from her, and she could be exiled or, worse still, executed.

Aderyn is dumped into a hotbed of distrust, lies and barely concealed violence, when she is expected to go capital city by order of the King, her uncle. She is wanted by her cousin, the princess, to be one of her bridal party at her upcoming nuptials. All is not as it seems though, and Aderyn finds that both she and her dominion of Atratys are very much at risk of harm.

I love a book with courtly intrigue, and this has loads! Aderyn has to watch every word she says and who she says it to - she can trust no one. She has gone from being a protected, shut away child, to being the one who must protect all of those in her care - she does seem to have the courage for it though. She’s a fighter, that’s evident throughout.

I’m very much looking forward to the second book in this duology - there are some serious loose ends to tie up!

Thanks to Readers First for my copy of this great book to read and review.
  
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Ducklady (1174 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Kingdom Hearts III in Video Games

Aug 25, 2019 (Updated Aug 25, 2019)  
Kingdom Hearts III
Kingdom Hearts III
2018 | Action, Role-Playing
The worlds and characters look incredible (1 more)
The battles are fluid
Feels like your watching a movie instead of playing a game (1 more)
the story is convoluted
I have been waiting for this game since Kingdom hearts 2 came out when I was a kid. I have been a huge fan of the kingdom hearts games for many many years and when I found out that this one finally had a release date, I was ecstatic. I even watched a whole bunch of videos and read lots of info about the full story so far. Despite this, while playing through, the story seems over complicated and a lot of it was pointless.
Exploring the worlds is a lot of fun and the game hits you with a huge dose of nostalgia, but for me there wasn't enough actual gameplay, especially compared to previous games and the giant wait time for this game to be released.
Although the fight scenes flowed so well, all the combos and special moves made this game way too easy. I was also expecting there to be loads more worlds, but it was distinctly lacking for a full game that cost a bomb.
I couldn't stand the sheer amount of cutscenes and ended up skipping most of them when I was about halfway through the game. I am frustrated that I never got to the ending as the game ceased to interest me.
I have to commend the game on the way it looks though, the "let it go" scene was like it was straight out the movie and all the NPC's looked excellent.
Overall, the game is fun, but greatly didn't meet my expectations.
  
The Ninth Gate (1999)
The Ninth Gate (1999)
1999 | Drama, Mystery
Romania Polanski (3 more)
Johnny Depp
Frank Langella
The Ninth Gate of the Kingdom of Shadows
Admit yourself into the Ninth Gate
I've witnessed this film get some stick but to me, it hits the spot on numerous levels and I can't understand where these people are coming from. Polanski is giving us a mysterious, dark and intriguing piece of work. The film revolves around the subject of a powerful book that for some, is worth more than life itself. The story sends Dean Corso (depp) on an investigation into the dark origins of the book and the once superficial rare book dealer finds a new infatuation other than himself. Great from start to finish with a great performance from all the cast, especially Depp and Frank Langella as Boris Balkan. For me it's a must.
  
TK
The King's Stilts
Dr. Seuss | 1939
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
King Britram has a difficult job keeping his kingdom from flooding, so he works all the time. The only break he takes is to walk on stilts, but one of his advisers doesn’t think that hobby is very kingly. What will happen when those stilts disappear?

This is a lesser known Dr. Seuss book, and that is a shame. It is definitely early Seuss with no rhymes and lots of words on each page, but older pre-schoolers who have the attention span for it will enjoy it because it contains the typical Seuss fun and imagination. Plus there’s a good moral in the story about balancing things in life.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/04/book-review-kings-stilts-by-dr-seuss.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.