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Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Heartless in Books

Apr 27, 2018  
Heartless
Heartless
Marissa Meyer | 2017 | Children
8
8.3 (33 Ratings)
Book Rating
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.
  
Kingdom Hearts III
Kingdom Hearts III
2018 | Action, Role-Playing
Fluid Game Play, Beautiful Graphics, Overall Fun, Huge Worlds (0 more)
Too easy, Too Short, Too Many Attraction combos, Fewer Boss Battles, No Sephiroth (0 more)
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.
  
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>.
  
The Coral Kingdom
The Coral Kingdom
Laura Knowles | 2018 | Children
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
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.
  
Warriors of the Storm
Warriors of the Storm
Bernard Cornwell | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
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.
  
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Joven (172 KP) rated Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King in Tabletop Games

Aug 12, 2019 (Updated Aug 12, 2019)  
Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King
Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King
2015 | Economic, Territory Building
Different victory conditions in every game mean it stays fresh every time (2 more)
Great artwork and style
Clever buy/sell mechanics
You need a LOT of space (0 more)
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...
  
In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2006)
In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2006)
2006 | Action, Classics, Sci-Fi
1
3.5 (4 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Nope
Why oh god why, why does this movie excist, why did this happen, who thought of this oh no Uwe Boll!!! Two words you dont want to hear. Two awful words that are so bad, you cant say it three times. Anyways thanks Uwe Boll for this film. I have a question, well many, but one is why do talented actors sign up for his films, why does anyone sign up to do a film with him? You have actors like Jason Statham, Ron Perlman, Ray Liotta and Burt Reynolds who are all talented actors waisted for this film.

The Plot: As war looms in an idyllic kingdom, a man named Farmer (Jason Statham) begins a heroic quest to find his kidnapped wife (Claire Forlani) and avenge their son, who was murdered by horrible warriors called Krugs. Meanwhile, villainous Gallian (Ray Liotta) sends his evil army to overthrow the rightful king (Burt Reynolds) and steal the throne.

Dont watch this film, dont watch any uwe boll films their are torturious.
  
Traitors or Rome (Eagle #18)
Traitors or Rome (Eagle #18)
Simon Scarrow | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Book number 18 in Simon Scarrow's long-running Macro and Cato series, which means he's catching up on Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe for sheer proliferation of books with the same central character(s) (and that's a good thing).

Following on from the previous novel ("The Blood of Rome"), Macro and Cato are still in charge of the Praetorians, and still on the eastern fringes of the Roman Empire (Syria), with Cato then tasked with making a dangerous journey into Parthia to deliver Rome's demands to the ruler of that nation while the recently-married (at the start of the novel) Macro, under General Corbulo, lays siege to the small kingdom of Thapsis in the mountains which has risen in revolt against Rome.

I have to say, with a title like 'Traitors of Rome' and with the extremely mercenary (historical) nature of the Praetorian Guard, I first thought - when I saw the title - that the Traitors of Rome would themselves prove to be the Praetorians themselves!

That's not the case, however, read the novel to finds out what is ...
  
Hercules (2014)
Hercules (2014)
2014 | Action, Sci-Fi
Dwayne “no longer the Rock” Johnson shares his acting skills with the world again.

Action star, sure; drama star, not so much.

 

In this graphic novel adaptation Hercules is made out to be a questionable

demi-god. With a spectacular retelling of his legendary labors, the story begins

showing Hercules as a sword-for-hire. His band of mercenaries helps him use the fame

to intimidate enemies and garner business.

 

Haunted by his past, the loss of Alcmene and 3 children, Hercules is offered his

weight in gold to save a kingdom from a tyrant.

 

Hercules sets off on his quest, hoping soon to be done with it all and retire on a

remote island to live out his days.

 

This star studded cast lends some great acting skill, Johnson withstanding, to the

big screen. The action will entertain, and the humor will grant a chuckle.

 

I found the story compelling, but I also feel like humor and the main actor were

 

Worth seeing but probably better suited for an at-home viewing.