Echoes of the Past
Book
Having moved to the hustle and bustle of London from Jamaica, Gloria Ifill found her initial attempt...
Rochester to Richmond: A Thames Estuary Sailor's View
Book
'Many people say that Nick Ardley is a bit of an eccentric, or an anachronism from a simpler age,...
We See Everything
Book
A gripping and powerfully relevant thriller set in a reimagined London where drone surveillance is...
young adult adventure
Williams Plays: v. 3: Fallout, Slow Time, Little Sweet Thing, Absolute Beginners
Book
Roy Williams has a deserved reputation as one of the most exciting young writers whose plays have...
David McK (3721 KP) rated Angel Has Fallen (2019) in Movies
Aug 15, 2020
Although I saw it, I don't remember much about it other than it was one of the 2 'Die Hard in the White House' movies that came out that year (the other being "White House Down") and that it starred Gerard Butler (wit "Olympus" being the code name of the White House).
In 2016, London Fell ("London Has Fallen")
I remember even less about it, other than it was a sequel, again starring Gerard Butler, and took place in, well, London.
Now, in 2019, "Angel Has Fallen".
The 'Angel' of that is the codename of Gerard Butler's Secret Service Agent Mike Banning, returning for a third time in the series, and here framed for an attempted assassination attempt on the US President (Morgan Freeman, taking over from the earlier Aaron Eckhart) and on the run from both his own government and from those who framed him (and want to finish the job, so to speak).
If you've seen any of the earlier entries, you'll know pretty much what to expect: gunfire, explosions, more gunfire, running, a ham-fisted "Russia bad! America good!" allegory thrown in, more gunfire ...
Not a bad way to while away a few hours, but not brilliant either,
The Switch
Book
Eileen is sick of being 79. Leena's tired of life in her twenties. Maybe it's time they swapped...
The Proposal
Book
Perfect to curl up with this Christmas, The Proposal by Tasmina Perry is a spellbinding tale of...
Cluedo: Sherlock Edition
Tabletop Game
The enigmatic series Sherlock retells the tale of England's most celebrated detective – and now...
Fogged Off
Book
When travel agent Cyd Redondo’s client and Jack the Ripper expert Shep Helnikov is found dead in...
Kyera (8 KP) rated A Darker Shade of Magic in Books
Feb 1, 2018
It was a really intriguing way to build the world and immediately fascinated me. Good world building is so important to books because it is immersive, it pulls you in and makes you forget that its not real. You are living the story with the characters. She even created languages that were utilized by characters from different places, from the magic language of the Antari to the flowing words or harsh tones of the neighboring lands. It shows a passion for authenticity and true love of what she has created.
I love the characters. Rhy with his charm always brightens the room (or a scene). Lila is cunning, ruthless, ambitious and a thief. She doesn't need anyone and she would never admit to needing anything. She takes or does what she wants, no matter the cost with no regrets. She is tough as nails and her grit is inspiring. Her first instinct is to protect herself above all.
Many people may not agree with me, but Lila was probably my least favourite of our main characters. She was smart and tough, but a little too ruthless for my taste. Kell was the character that I liked/related to the most, even though he was a powerful magic user he seemed the most down to earth.
Not only does she introduce us to unique main characters, but she brilliantly gives depths to those in the background. There are some supporting characters that at times I liked even more than some of our leads.
Overall the story is more of a slow-burn/build rather than quick action packed scenes. I think that it worked really well for this story and have no complaints. Highly recommended to young adult/teen readers who enjoy fantasy or magic books with characters that have very diverse personalities/outlooks on life and great world-building.

