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A Shadow of Light (A Shade of Vampire, #4)
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The fourth book of the million-bestselling A Shade of Vampire series! "A Shadow of Light is by...
The Gender Game (The Gender Game, #1)
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For fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent comes a story like no other... A toxic river divides...
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Jurassic World: Dominion (2022) in Movies
Oct 13, 2022
Just to be clear from the get go, a lot of Jurassic World Dominion is pure nonsense, and is yet another entry in this series that is worlds apart from Jurassic Park in terms of quality, and what it's trying to be. It has the courtesy at least, to be slightly better than the garbage fire of it's predecessor, Fallen Kingdom, and even a cynical bastard like me can admit to enjoying the extended presence of some of the legacy characters, but it's not enough to distract from the aspects that drag it down.
Perhaps most prominently, is the promise of dinosaurs rampaging the world with regular society, teased at the end of the last movie. There are parts here and there that show what that would be like, but the main bulk of the plot is focused on a potential famine cause by giant locusts. It's mind boggling why this is the main narrative, when all people want to see is massive dinosaurs fucking shit up in the suburbs or whatever. Jurassic Park is easily in my top 10 films of all time, a movie that I think of fondly, and even more so when Dominion is giving us James Bond style villains. How did we get to this point?
As mentioned, it's nice to have the likes of Alan Grant, Ellie Satler, and Ian Malcolm back in the mix, but it mainly serves as a reminder of how little chemistry Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard share. It's also ludicrous at this point, how every dinosaur will stop in it's tracks everytime Pratt's character does the dumb hand thing.
It's not all bad, honestly. Some of the action scenes are pretty fun, and a lot of the dinosaurs are puppeteered. When it's time to fall back on CGI, it's as good as it gets, and some of the new dinosaurs introduced are memorable.
It's another entry in this franchise that will no doubt have kids hitting the ceiling, but I personally think it's a shame that the quality has dipped to make room for crowd pleasing spectacle. Still though, it's better than Fallen Kingdom, so I'll take that as a small victory.
Perhaps most prominently, is the promise of dinosaurs rampaging the world with regular society, teased at the end of the last movie. There are parts here and there that show what that would be like, but the main bulk of the plot is focused on a potential famine cause by giant locusts. It's mind boggling why this is the main narrative, when all people want to see is massive dinosaurs fucking shit up in the suburbs or whatever. Jurassic Park is easily in my top 10 films of all time, a movie that I think of fondly, and even more so when Dominion is giving us James Bond style villains. How did we get to this point?
As mentioned, it's nice to have the likes of Alan Grant, Ellie Satler, and Ian Malcolm back in the mix, but it mainly serves as a reminder of how little chemistry Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard share. It's also ludicrous at this point, how every dinosaur will stop in it's tracks everytime Pratt's character does the dumb hand thing.
It's not all bad, honestly. Some of the action scenes are pretty fun, and a lot of the dinosaurs are puppeteered. When it's time to fall back on CGI, it's as good as it gets, and some of the new dinosaurs introduced are memorable.
It's another entry in this franchise that will no doubt have kids hitting the ceiling, but I personally think it's a shame that the quality has dipped to make room for crowd pleasing spectacle. Still though, it's better than Fallen Kingdom, so I'll take that as a small victory.
Lindsay (1727 KP) rated A Royal Christmas Wedding in Books
Sep 7, 2017
Avery Truitt is someone who was going to college to be a professional volleyball player. 5 years before she meets Prince Colin when she was with her sister Susanna went to Cathedral City. What ever happen to Avery and Colin?
Susanna has invited both her sister and mother to the Brington Kingdom for the Christmas season. Will their mother get over their father’s death? There appear someone brings Avery and Colin together at every turn. Will Colin father help or harm Colin? The old bell rings and who has pulled it and rung it?
People do not believe that God had pulled the 600-pound bell that started ringing and brings all people to the where the accident of Prince Michael died. Do I love that fact that there is a meaning and some true relationship trouble and Hauck shows that in each story in The Royal Wedding Series? She let the characters work it out their own problems. She does not rush them. Rachel Hauck does well with the plot and her writing is wonderful as well.
Susanna has invited both her sister and mother to the Brington Kingdom for the Christmas season. Will their mother get over their father’s death? There appear someone brings Avery and Colin together at every turn. Will Colin father help or harm Colin? The old bell rings and who has pulled it and rung it?
People do not believe that God had pulled the 600-pound bell that started ringing and brings all people to the where the accident of Prince Michael died. Do I love that fact that there is a meaning and some true relationship trouble and Hauck shows that in each story in The Royal Wedding Series? She let the characters work it out their own problems. She does not rush them. Rachel Hauck does well with the plot and her writing is wonderful as well.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Heartless in Books
Apr 27, 2018
This book is devastating.
first of all, listening to the audio, it was a bit silly. The accent switched between American and British, and it was weird. The story itself was bonkers (which is to be expected, this is Hearts we're talking about).
What killed me is there's no way for this story to turn out happy. And I am 100% sure of it, so I quit right after the meadow scene. I'll let it work itself out happily in my head. Because I don't feel like having to explain to my boss why I'm crying about a YA novel.
So in my head, Jest took Cath to the Hatter, who made her a hat to make her brave. She marries the king, kills him, kills the jabberwock, and partners with the white queen in Chess to save their kingdom. And she marries Jest and becomes the happiest girl in the world.
EVEN THOUGH I KNOW WHAT HAPPENS AND THAT'S NOT IT. Here, Marissa Meyer, just take my heart and stomp on it already.
first of all, listening to the audio, it was a bit silly. The accent switched between American and British, and it was weird. The story itself was bonkers (which is to be expected, this is Hearts we're talking about).
What killed me is there's no way for this story to turn out happy. And I am 100% sure of it, so I quit right after the meadow scene. I'll let it work itself out happily in my head. Because I don't feel like having to explain to my boss why I'm crying about a YA novel.
So in my head, Jest took Cath to the Hatter, who made her a hat to make her brave. She marries the king, kills him, kills the jabberwock, and partners with the white queen in Chess to save their kingdom. And she marries Jest and becomes the happiest girl in the world.
EVEN THOUGH I KNOW WHAT HAPPENS AND THAT'S NOT IT. Here, Marissa Meyer, just take my heart and stomp on it already.
Marqees (17 KP) rated Kingdom Hearts III in Video Games
Feb 10, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
I waited 14+ years for Kingdom Hearts 3 and for the most part it delivered. Overall the game is incredible, high octane action, intense story elements, and a fluid control system. The game picks up after Dream Drop Distance. Sora has lost a bit of power and is on a trek with Donald and Goofy to power up again. The game is stunning and beautiful running on the Unreal engine for the first time. Combat is way easier as now block and dodge are already activated. It is crazy fun summoning attractions like Splash Canyon and the Tea Cups. The huge worlds are fun to traverse and look for items, hidden emblems, and recipe ingredients. However, there are some downfalls, for starters the game is a way to short. Though the worlds were large there are fewer of them. The attraction combos happen way too often and kill combos. There is no Arena and no Sephiroth fight. Overall a good game.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2275 KP) rated Disney at Last (Kingdom Keepers: The Return #3) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Finn, the rest of the Kingdom Keepers, plus Jess and Amanda are still back in 1955. While they wait for their trip back to our time to be perfected, they have a new mission – stop the overtakers from even being created. Meanwhile, in the present, Jess and Amanda’s friend Mattie is in a fight of her own to protect the parks of the present. Can she do it?
With two stories in two time periods, this book is never boring. There are several great fight scenes, and we even get to see some of the Disney heroes for more than a glimpse this time around. As always, the characters could be more fleshed out, but I have spent so much time with them I really don’t care. I do feel the climax glossed over a few things, but I do like where the characters end up. We’ll just blame it on me trying to follow time travel.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/07/book-review-disney-at-last-by-ridley.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
With two stories in two time periods, this book is never boring. There are several great fight scenes, and we even get to see some of the Disney heroes for more than a glimpse this time around. As always, the characters could be more fleshed out, but I have spent so much time with them I really don’t care. I do feel the climax glossed over a few things, but I do like where the characters end up. We’ll just blame it on me trying to follow time travel.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/07/book-review-disney-at-last-by-ridley.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated The Coral Kingdom in Books
Jun 16, 2018
The Coral Kingdom by Laura Knowles is a beautifully illustrated picture book about coral reefs, as well as a pretty strong call to save them.
The story part of the book is a nice sing song of the animals and colors of the reef. The back matter is all about what is coral, how we can save it, and how we can save our planet. Told in a loose rhyming scheme, the reader is brought into the wonders of this undersea world. The watercolor pictures illustrate with beautiful colors of the reef and the life around it. There are lots of sea creatures to find as well as unusual things like boats that have become part of the reef over time. A call is made to save this beautiful space.
The book ends with some action ideas for sustaining the reef and how it is losing it's color. The message is clear, but I never felt like I was being beat over the head with it. The case is made gently and with beautiful art.
The story part of the book is a nice sing song of the animals and colors of the reef. The back matter is all about what is coral, how we can save it, and how we can save our planet. Told in a loose rhyming scheme, the reader is brought into the wonders of this undersea world. The watercolor pictures illustrate with beautiful colors of the reef and the life around it. There are lots of sea creatures to find as well as unusual things like boats that have become part of the reef over time. A call is made to save this beautiful space.
The book ends with some action ideas for sustaining the reef and how it is losing it's color. The message is clear, but I never felt like I was being beat over the head with it. The case is made gently and with beautiful art.
David McK (3505 KP) rated Warriors of the Storm in Books
Jan 28, 2019
Ninth(1) book in [a: Bernard Cornwell|12542|Bernard Cornwell|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1240500522p2/12542.jpg]'s Warrior Chronicles (or Saxon Stories, if you live in the U.S) series about the founding of England.
I don't think I'm giving anything away when I say that we're now (well) past the death of Alfred (the only English monarch to ever be given the epitaph 'the Great'), with Uhtred now in late middle-age (for us), and still eager to reclaim his ownership of Bebbanburg.
The novel, however, concerns itself more with raids made by Ragnall Iverson, with his motives initially unclear: does he come to rape and pillage? To attack Chester? To take control of the Danish kingdom of Northumbria?
Ragnall, however, is related to Uhtred through marriage, so his loyalties remain in doubt to the rulers of the land, with Uhtred eventually disobeying orders and sailing to Ireland (and back), for reasons that become clear in the plot.
Another strong entry in the series; perhaps not the strongest, but still pretty good.
I don't think I'm giving anything away when I say that we're now (well) past the death of Alfred (the only English monarch to ever be given the epitaph 'the Great'), with Uhtred now in late middle-age (for us), and still eager to reclaim his ownership of Bebbanburg.
The novel, however, concerns itself more with raids made by Ragnall Iverson, with his motives initially unclear: does he come to rape and pillage? To attack Chester? To take control of the Danish kingdom of Northumbria?
Ragnall, however, is related to Uhtred through marriage, so his loyalties remain in doubt to the rulers of the land, with Uhtred eventually disobeying orders and sailing to Ireland (and back), for reasons that become clear in the plot.
Another strong entry in the series; perhaps not the strongest, but still pretty good.
Joven (172 KP) rated Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King in Tabletop Games
Aug 12, 2019 (Updated Aug 12, 2019)
Different victory conditions in every game mean it stays fresh every time (2 more)
Great artwork and style
Clever buy/sell mechanics
Clever and highly replayable
Isle of Skye has you playing as a Clan Chief trying to create the best kingdom for your people. Points are scored through a number of means, but the victory conditions can be randomised every time which leads to a really replayable game.
Your clan territory is grown by buying new tiles with different land types (grass/fields, mountains, or lakes) and bonuses, and in each round it is the players themselves who set the prices for these tiles. Sometimes you might find you've horribly over or under-valued a tile by not accounting for another player's plans, and sometimes you can pick up an absolute bargain!
The game is fast paced and relatively easy to learn, but be warned with up to 5 players all trying to build up big clan territories in front of them you need a lot of room to play this properly...
Your clan territory is grown by buying new tiles with different land types (grass/fields, mountains, or lakes) and bonuses, and in each round it is the players themselves who set the prices for these tiles. Sometimes you might find you've horribly over or under-valued a tile by not accounting for another player's plans, and sometimes you can pick up an absolute bargain!
The game is fast paced and relatively easy to learn, but be warned with up to 5 players all trying to build up big clan territories in front of them you need a lot of room to play this properly...