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Troy
Troy
Stephen Fry | 2020 | Education
9
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
39 of 230
Book
Troy (Mythos book 3)
By Stephen Fry
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 
AN EPIC BATTLE THAT LASTED TEN YEARS. A LEGENDARY STORY THAT HAS SURVIVED THOUSANDS.

'An inimitable retelling of the siege of Troy . . . Fry's narrative, artfully humorous and rich in detail, breathes life and contemporary relevance into these ancient tales'OBSERVER

'Stephen Fry has done it again. Well written and super storytelling' 5***** READER REVIEW
________

'Troy. The most marvellous kingdom in all the world. The Jewel of the Aegean. Glittering Ilion, the city that rose and fell not once but twice . . .'

When Helen, the beautiful Greek queen, is kidnapped by the Trojan prince Paris, the most legendary war of all time begins.

Watch in awe as a thousand ships are launched against the great city of Troy.

Feel the fury of the battleground as the Trojans stand resolutely against Greek might for an entire decade.

And witness the epic climax - the wooden horse, delivered to the city of Troy in a masterclass of deception by the Greeks . . .

In Stephen Fry's exceptional retelling of our greatest story, TROY will transport you to the depths of ancient Greece and beyond.
________


I love Greek Mythology and Stephen Fry is one of my favourite people. All through this book his voice was in my head. Brilliant retellings and underlying humour. Brilliant!
  
    The Hunter

    The Hunter

    L.J. Shen

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    From USA Today Bestselling author L.J. Shen comes a new, fun, steamy standalone about a notorious...

The Hurricane Wars
The Hurricane Wars
Thea Guanzon | 2023 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I think I came at this book from a completely different angle than all the 1-3 star reviews I’ve seen, because I thoroughly enjoyed it! The world building was perfectly done - I believed in these places, customs and conflicts. The magic element was exciting, and Talasyn’s journey to learning how to control and use her magic was fascinating.

And then there’s Talasyn’s love interest. Alaric uses a magic that’s the opposite to Talasyn’s - dark to her light. When their magic accidentally merges during a battle and creates a new, immensely powerful magic, Alarics interest is piqued. Talasyn hates Alaric and his kingdom - or does she?

There’s a lot of sexual tension going on in this book, and Alaric and Talasyn have a rather combative relationship. There was a part of me that just wanted them to sort it out, but there’s a lot of water under the bridge between these two, so it’s understandable.

So, I’m looking forward to the next book for a lot of reasons: there’s the “will they/ won’t they; whether Alarics father will ruin everything or not; whether the continents will survive the ensuing natural disaster; whether Talasyn will harness her powers in time; what’s going to happen to Talasyn’s friends?!
So many questions and I’m just going to have to wait!
  
40x40

David McK (3587 KP) rated Troy (2004) in Movies

Apr 28, 2020 (Updated Aug 25, 2024)  
Troy (2004)
Troy (2004)
2004 | Action, Drama, History
Following the success of "Gladiator" in 2000, I was expecting Hollywood to resurrect the old sword and sandals movies of yore, and for their to be a glut of the same.

At the time of writing this review (2020), there was actually surprisingly few such films: of the top of my head, I can only really think of "Robin Hood", "Kingdom of Heaven", and this.

With quite a few big names in its cast - Brad Pitt, Sean Bean, Orlando Bloom, Peter O'Toole and Eric Bana to name a few - this retells the story of the siege of Troy (although said siege doesn't seem to last as long as originally told), following Paris (Orlando Bloom) elopement with the wife of Menelaus of Troy (Brendan Gleeson) Helen (Diane Kruger), giving an excuse for Agememnon (a scenery chewing Brian Cox) to go to war against that city.

While this does have some bruising action scenes - the beach landing, and Achilles Vs Hector are my personal favourite - unfortunately large swathes of the film are bogged down by necessary exposition, and I have to say that the face of this version of Helen of Sparta (or Troy) may not be able to launch the fleet of a thousand ships that she is described as in the original texts (where she is said to be the most beautiful woman in the world).
  
In a Kingdom by the Sea
In a Kingdom by the Sea
Sara Macdonald | 2019 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Romance
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Imagine how it must feel to live in a country that is nearly always depicted negatively? How does it feel to have your country's natural beauty and landscape usurped by the violence of a small percentage of people? This is what Gabriella discovers the majority of the population of Pakistan face when she accompanies her husband Mike to Karachi where he works for Pakistan Atlantic Airways.

Gabriella and her sons have been used to Mike disappearing for months at a time on various jobs abroad, however, she is beginning to feel she and her husband are drifting apart. When Mike suggests she come and stay with him in Pakistan, she jumps at the chance, however, instead of strengthing the relationship, Gabriella feels further away than ever. Constantly left behind in a hotel while Mike attends numerous conferences, Gabriella is virtually housebound; it being too dangerous to venture outside. Not only that, she suspects Mike is having an affair and to top it all off, her half-sister Dominique reveals a devastating secret about their childhood in Cornwall.

In a Kingdom by the Sea by Sara MacDonald is essentially a contemporary love story, exploring the woes of a nearly fifty-year-old coming to the end of a long relationship. With underlying elements of mystery, for instance, what happened to Dominique in the early 1970s and what exactly is Mike up to, the novel also explores the hidden truths of a country stereotyped by violence and terrorism.

Gabriella meets dozens of kind and caring people in Pakistan who have her best interests at heart. These people are not dangerous or violent as the media often leads the western world to believe. Whilst some groups of people are content to cause death and destruction, leaving the cities a minefield to navigate, there are plenty more who wish to live peaceful lives. Gabriella is captivated by the beautiful, enchanting landscapes, unlike anything back home in England.

As the story progresses, Gabriella learns more about the lives of women in Pakistan. They are unable to live as they please, having to bow to the commands of their husbands, parents and brothers instead. The more Gabriella speaks to these women, the more she realises that cooped up in the hotel most of the day, she is in a similar situation, under the thumb of her own husband. So, she stops. Thinks. Is this the life she wants?

In a Kingdom by the Sea is a slightly long-winded but eye-opening story. Not everyone will be able to relate to the lives of Pakistani women, however, their plight will resonate with those who relish freedom. Whilst it is difficult to compare Gabriella's life with the women she meets in Karachi, readers will also be rooting for Gabriella's happy-ever-after.
  
    Toy Defense Fantasy

    Toy Defense Fantasy

    Games, Entertainment and Stickers

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    Toy Defense Fantasy 2.0 will please fans of tower defence genre with excellent graphics,...