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Gilbert (11 KP) rated Game Of Thrones in TV

Sep 1, 2017  
Game Of Thrones
Game Of Thrones
2011 | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Everything about this show is fantastic! (0 more)
That the next season will be the last :-( (0 more)
GAME OF THRONES
Game of Thrones: Song of Ice and Fire series novelizations by George RR Martin was my second first serious Fantasy series (Lord of the Rings was my first) and I fell in love with it after Book One. Now with this HBO hit TV series, I recommend reading the books to understand the background of the characters because it'll be confusing if you don't know who's who. Especially for those who start late in the season and don't know what the hell is going on in the series. With the books though, you get a glimpse of who's who and their backgrounds. The characters come alive in the books as well as in the TV show. I think with the books you get more background knowledge of who's playing in the game of thrones. The families including the Starks, Targayens, and the Lanisters will make more sense if you follow the books. (Really don't have to read the whole series to understand what's going on but if you want to follow characters in the TV series, it'll help with who's backstabbing who and why). I highly recommend the TV show to all fans of George RR Martins fantastical Fantasy Series!
  
Pale Kings (Emaneska #2)
Pale Kings (Emaneska #2)
Ben Galley | 2012 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
132 of 250
Kindle
Pale kings ( Emaneska book 2)
By Ben Galley

Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments

The Pale Kings are rising. Emaneska's Long Winter remains as bitter as a blade between the ribs. War is fast approaching. Gods and demons are hovering on the horizon. Long-lost revelations arrive to haunt the lives of three men.

"Harry Potter meets Lord of the Rings."
- NottingHarp, Amazon Reviewer

While Farden the Written mage busies himself digging up his past in the strange deserts of Paraia, the storm-clouds begin to gather for Durnus, Elessi, Cheska, and Modren.

"There are certain twists that will surprise the reader by genuinely coming out of the left field."
- Fantasy Book Critic

Together with Farfallen and his dragon-riders, they must fight to survive against the Long Winter, the vicious machinations of the new Arkmage, and the arrival of something much deadlier than both combined. War, deception, and murder are quickly becoming the only paths to salvation...

I will say it’s very well written and I would encourage others to still read it! I can only express my opinion and it just wasn’t working for me I just struggled so hard to get into the book and connect properly!
  
CT
Close to You
Kara Isaac | 2016
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Kara Isaac took my breath away with such a beautiful story. I can't wait to get my hands on her next release coming out in just a few weeks! Filled with so many dynamics, I was biting my nails, laughing out loud, sighing with relief, and at times, even yelling at the book. I have always been a fan of Tolkien and so I found the setting both brilliant and intriguing. This story hit close to home in the fact that I know what it is to be hurt and have a fear of trusting people. It was so encouraging though to watch Allie and Jackson's journey. Cheering them on and hoping they find their healing in Lord along the way. Filled with quotes from Tolkien and random #NerdGirl knowledge, I had so much fun reading Close to You. This is THE book that I chose to read on my way home from Nashville. I think the people on my flights thought I was crazy for the giggling that commenced a couple of times. If you enjoy a good, clean romance, Lord of the Rings, and New Zealand, you will fall head over teakettle for Kara Isaac and Close to You!

I received a free copy of Close to You in my "Swag Bag" from Christian Fiction Readers Retreat, Nashville, 2016. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
  
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
2012 | Action, Sci-Fi
8
7.4 (31 Ratings)
Movie Rating
A feel good film
I would like to first off state that I adore this film as a book, so straight off the bat I was a little worried on what would be happening with these films and how they would differ from the novel.

After watching it, I don’t know what I was so worried about especially when Peter Jackson is the one directing the films (when he did such a fantastic job at Lord of the Rings).

I think the casting for all the characters was spot on, and keeping characters that we were introduced to in Lord of the Rings the same was a fantastic (and so glad that those actors agreed to do these films). Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggin’s is/was an excellent choice that I really couldn’t see any other actor managing to incorporate Bilbo’s sassiness – because let’s face it, that Hobbit knew how to out wit someone and sass when there was need – to his vulnerability and fear of going out into the unknown. I felt he held the role with dignity and grace and made the humorous scenes even better but when he is needed for the more emotional scenes, Freeman is still fantastic at portraying all those reactions clear as day on his face pulling at your heart strings and showing you what a brilliant range he has as an actor!

Another actor I feel that needs credit is Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield. Having never really seen him in any films before then I was sceptical. I really shouldn’t have been. His portrayal as the scowling and grumpy Dwarf Prince/King is next to amazing! He managed to make you fall in love with the cantankerous Dwarf, which is a feat in all of itself, by the end. This man’s range as an actor is also very good and his ability to show you what Thorin is feeling just by his eye’s is an ability that not many actors have.

Now I was unsure when we were told that this book was being made into three films, and I still feel that the films were possibly stretched out more than they should have by us being presented with characters who were not even in the books. But, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

To be fully truthful, knowing that this would be the end of the Middle Earth saga that Peter Jackson was doing, I was not quite ready to say goodbye to the stories that we all grew up with. So I may be biased in saying that I enjoyed having the extra screen time to devour.

The Hobbit Trilogy might not be as fantastic as Lord of the Rings, but it is a trilogy that I would happily watch over and over again. The humour, the wit, and the general good-feeling of these films is something that just makes you feel like you are coming home again after a long trip. One feel good trilogy that I’d happily recommend to anyone.
  
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David McK (3540 KP) rated Dune (2021) in Movies

Nov 17, 2021 (Updated Feb 25, 2024)  
Dune (2021)
Dune (2021)
2021 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
What. On. Arrakis.?!?
Part 1 of Dennis Villeneuve's take on the famous Frank Herbert sci-fi tome of the same (brazenly even called part 1 before part 2 was confirmed - it is now), with quite a wealth of talent on screen and with some gorgeous backdrops throughout.

Indeed, if you've seen Blade Runner 2049 by the same director, you can easily spot the similarities in the compositions of several of the shots.

I must admit that, while I know of the sand worms, spice and that the novel leans heavily into the politics of the distant future, I've never actually got round to reading the novel. As such, I don't really know all that much what to expect: a bit like when I went to see the first Lord of the Rings films at the turn of the current millennium.

However, where the Fellowship of the Ring has the advantage over this is that the latter is quite self contained: even if The Two Towers (or The Return of the King) had never been made, the film would have stood on its own. This movie, by contrast, just abruptly ends: I think the last line of dialogue might even be something along the lines of 'This is just the beginning'.

It's also very dense, with a surreal dream like quality over large swathes of it: I also found that it takes it time to actually get going!

Still, I've since heard that the first part of the book on which it is based is the slower (and denser) part, so maybe the sequel will also pick up.