Search
Search results
Kyera (8 KP) rated The Shadow Queen (Ravenspire, #1) in Books
Feb 1, 2018
As a huge fan of re-tellings, I was excited to pick up and read this book. The Shadow Queen is the tale of Snow White, re-imagined into a vast world populated with not only magic users but dragons. Of all of the versions of this story that I've experienced, the Shadow Queen is probably my favourite version. It is always more enjoyable when the heroine is not solely a damsel in distress but is able to save herself when the need arises. The portrayal of a strong female lead is welcome in this story and she is supported by an array of characters.
I really enjoyed how the characters were initially introduced and then developed over the course of the novel. We meet Lorelei (and her brother Leo) as children when their father is still alive and married to his second wife, Irina. You see the love that was once there and then the betrayal that occurs, leading to the princess fleeing the castle. She grows up outside of the palace and is able to learn about her people, become more self-sufficient than she would have been had she lived as a royal and become a stronger person as a result. You understand her motivation and drive to do what is right, even at the cost of herself.
Kol is a royal from another land who always felt like he disappointed his family, but must take on more than he feels he is ready for when he is thrust into a challenging situation. He is initially very immature but quickly grows into the strong leader that his friends already saw him as. You learn just how deeply loyal he is and willing to sacrifice for his people.
The villain was well thought out and not one-dimensional. Queen Irina feels that she must act the way she does and that she deserves the crown. As the elder of two sisters, she was supposed to be married first but that did not happen. She felt betrayed and cheated by her father, her uncle, her sister. No one treated her as she deserved and it made her bitter. She vowed to make the crown hers, whatever the cost. Despite her actions and whether she deserved it, Lorelei's betrayal just added to the darkening of her heart. Irina thought that Lorelei understood her and when it was clear that she did not, Lorelei also became the enemy. While Irina's beliefs are not necessarily valid, it was nice to see the series of events that led her to become the person she was in the novel and show her reasons for her horrific actions.
The world was vast and varied, from the dual-hearted people who could change into dragons, to magic wielders and peasants. I wish that we had seen or heard about more of the world, in depth but what we did experience was very well written. You could imagine the castle or villages that our heroes occcupied and traveled through.
Overall, I would recommend this book to young adult/teen readers who enjoy fairytales, re-tellings, fantasy, magic, dragons, strong female heroines, well-developed characters or Snow White. I enjoyed reading this book and can't wait to see where the series goes, its after happily ever after.
I really enjoyed how the characters were initially introduced and then developed over the course of the novel. We meet Lorelei (and her brother Leo) as children when their father is still alive and married to his second wife, Irina. You see the love that was once there and then the betrayal that occurs, leading to the princess fleeing the castle. She grows up outside of the palace and is able to learn about her people, become more self-sufficient than she would have been had she lived as a royal and become a stronger person as a result. You understand her motivation and drive to do what is right, even at the cost of herself.
Kol is a royal from another land who always felt like he disappointed his family, but must take on more than he feels he is ready for when he is thrust into a challenging situation. He is initially very immature but quickly grows into the strong leader that his friends already saw him as. You learn just how deeply loyal he is and willing to sacrifice for his people.
The villain was well thought out and not one-dimensional. Queen Irina feels that she must act the way she does and that she deserves the crown. As the elder of two sisters, she was supposed to be married first but that did not happen. She felt betrayed and cheated by her father, her uncle, her sister. No one treated her as she deserved and it made her bitter. She vowed to make the crown hers, whatever the cost. Despite her actions and whether she deserved it, Lorelei's betrayal just added to the darkening of her heart. Irina thought that Lorelei understood her and when it was clear that she did not, Lorelei also became the enemy. While Irina's beliefs are not necessarily valid, it was nice to see the series of events that led her to become the person she was in the novel and show her reasons for her horrific actions.
The world was vast and varied, from the dual-hearted people who could change into dragons, to magic wielders and peasants. I wish that we had seen or heard about more of the world, in depth but what we did experience was very well written. You could imagine the castle or villages that our heroes occcupied and traveled through.
Overall, I would recommend this book to young adult/teen readers who enjoy fairytales, re-tellings, fantasy, magic, dragons, strong female heroines, well-developed characters or Snow White. I enjoyed reading this book and can't wait to see where the series goes, its after happily ever after.
How Did We Get So Dark? by Royal Blood
8.0
Rate It
Album Watch
After becoming the biggest breaking British rock band with their self-titled 2014 debut album, Royal...
rock
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2544 KP) rated Death with a Dark Red Rose in Books
Feb 29, 2020
Mysterious Disappearance
Life is going well for Lena London. Her latest collaboration with bestselling novelist Camilla Graham is doing well, she and her fiance, Sam West, are just starting to plan their wedding, and she enjoys spending time with her new friends in Blue Lake. The only shadow is the new factory that is being built just outside of town. It looks like the building is going to be an eye sore, and Lena is not happy about it and other ways it might change this area she considers home. However, a cold wind blows in when someone vanishes. Soon, Lena and her friends are caught up in another race to figure out what is happening before things turn deadly. Will they solve things in time?
I thought this novel’s beginning was weak, but it was the weakest part of the story. Even then, that is a minor complaint since I was hooked from the very first page and could hardly put the book down until I reached the end. If real life didn’t interfere, I could have easily finished it in one sitting. I did see one or two twists coming, but there were plenty others I didn’t suspect, but they made perfect sense by the time we reached the end of the story. I love Lena and her friends, and we got plenty of time with them in these pages. Their relationships are fantastic. Each chapter starts with a quote from the projects that Lena and Camilla are currently working on, and I found they helped me better understand just how this series works Gothic elements into each book. Honestly, I’d love to read their books if they were real. It is best to read this series in order since some events of previous books are spoiled by necessity. That’s not an issue since all the books in this series are great. Set aside plenty of time when you pick up this book because you won’t want to put it down until you’ve read every thrilling page.
I thought this novel’s beginning was weak, but it was the weakest part of the story. Even then, that is a minor complaint since I was hooked from the very first page and could hardly put the book down until I reached the end. If real life didn’t interfere, I could have easily finished it in one sitting. I did see one or two twists coming, but there were plenty others I didn’t suspect, but they made perfect sense by the time we reached the end of the story. I love Lena and her friends, and we got plenty of time with them in these pages. Their relationships are fantastic. Each chapter starts with a quote from the projects that Lena and Camilla are currently working on, and I found they helped me better understand just how this series works Gothic elements into each book. Honestly, I’d love to read their books if they were real. It is best to read this series in order since some events of previous books are spoiled by necessity. That’s not an issue since all the books in this series are great. Set aside plenty of time when you pick up this book because you won’t want to put it down until you’ve read every thrilling page.
Devil's Dream: Shade of Devil Book 1
10.0
Rate It
Book
The greatest trick the First Vampire ever pulled was convincing the world that he didn’t exist. ...
▻ Solitaire
Games and Entertainment
App
Solitaire is the most loved free solitaire ...with thousands of games, all free. Top class games...
HealthifyMe Weight Loss Coach
Health & Fitness and Food & Drink
App
Lose weight with HealthifyMe - Calorie Calculator for Indian Diet with Nutrition, Fitness and Yoga...
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Big Little Lies in Books
Mar 22, 2020
After reading (and loving) What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty, I had wanted to read more by her. When I finally got the opportunity, I chose Big Little Lies. Liane Moriarty did not disappoint!
Many things are happening for the parents of the children that attend Pirriwee Public school. Madeline is happy go lucky, but she isn't afraid to speak her mind. Celeste is gorgeous and seems to have the perfect life, but it's what goes on behind closed doors that make her want to run away from it all. Jane, a single mom, is younger than most of the parents and has just moved to the area. With her, she brings a very big secret. As their lives intersect, things come to a head leaving one person dead. The thing is, was it murder, self defense, suicide, or just an unfortunate accident?
The plot for Big Little Lies is easy to navigate and understand. It was easy to imagine myself as a bystander in the book whilst all the action was going on around me. Most of the characters in this book lead a privileged life, so it was nice to get a sneak peek into their lives and see that they have problems as well. The pacing was done beautifully. The chapters weren't very long, so I kept telling myself one more chapter which we all know turns into many more chapters! The prose was fantastic and flowed perfectly. I kept wanting to know more and would try to guess who the character was that died. I enjoyed the dialogue that would start off most chapters where a character was talking to someone regarding the death of a character in present day. I did predict which character would end up dead though, but I suppose that was a lucky guess. There was one big plot twist I didn't see coming, and I loved that plot twist! The book ends with no cliff hangers, and all of my questions were answered.
I enjoyed every character in Big Little Lies. Each and every character was well developed and interesting to learn about. Although the story follows Madeline, Celeste, and Jane, other characters are fleshed out through their narratives. I loved how Madeline wasn't afraid to tell it like it was. She just could not hold anything back, yet people still wanted to be her friend. Her loyalty to her friends was admirable, and I would love a friend like her! Her husband, Ed, was very supportive to Madeline, and it was easy to see that he loved her. Her oldest daughter, Abigail, was an interesting one. I liked reading about her and seeing how she would turn out throughout everything. (The virginity thing sure was interesting, and I would have done exactly as Madeline!) Madeline's youngest daughter Chloe was cute. She reminded me so much of a younger Madeline. Nathan, Madeline's ex-husband, and his wife Bonnie were other characters that helped flesh out Madeline. I did like Bonnie's carefree personality though. I also loved reading about Celeste, and I felt bad for her many times with what she had to endure. Sure, to others, she had it all - looks, a huge house, a very rich and good looking husband who seemed to adore her, beautiful twin boys - but her pain was obvious throughout, and I could understand her hesitation to do the right thing. Getting to read about her thought process was interesting. Perry, Celeste's husband, came across as very charismatic. It was easy to see why everyone loved him so much. I wanted good things to happen for Jane and her little boy, Ziggy. Jane's love for Ziggy oozed from the pages. The love she had for Ziggy was so sweet. Ziggy seemed like such a cute little boy, and I just wanted to hug him and never let go especially after what happens very early on in the book.
Trigger warnings for Big Little Lies include death, drinking, drunkenness, profanity, domestic violence, violence, and sexual situations (although not graphic).
All in all, Big Little Lies is a delicious morsel of a book. It delves right into the lives of its characters who come to feel like close friends and family by the end of the book. I would definitely recommend Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty to everyone aged 16+ who are in dire need of a fantastic read with a great cast of characters and a plot that sucks you right in!
Many things are happening for the parents of the children that attend Pirriwee Public school. Madeline is happy go lucky, but she isn't afraid to speak her mind. Celeste is gorgeous and seems to have the perfect life, but it's what goes on behind closed doors that make her want to run away from it all. Jane, a single mom, is younger than most of the parents and has just moved to the area. With her, she brings a very big secret. As their lives intersect, things come to a head leaving one person dead. The thing is, was it murder, self defense, suicide, or just an unfortunate accident?
The plot for Big Little Lies is easy to navigate and understand. It was easy to imagine myself as a bystander in the book whilst all the action was going on around me. Most of the characters in this book lead a privileged life, so it was nice to get a sneak peek into their lives and see that they have problems as well. The pacing was done beautifully. The chapters weren't very long, so I kept telling myself one more chapter which we all know turns into many more chapters! The prose was fantastic and flowed perfectly. I kept wanting to know more and would try to guess who the character was that died. I enjoyed the dialogue that would start off most chapters where a character was talking to someone regarding the death of a character in present day. I did predict which character would end up dead though, but I suppose that was a lucky guess. There was one big plot twist I didn't see coming, and I loved that plot twist! The book ends with no cliff hangers, and all of my questions were answered.
I enjoyed every character in Big Little Lies. Each and every character was well developed and interesting to learn about. Although the story follows Madeline, Celeste, and Jane, other characters are fleshed out through their narratives. I loved how Madeline wasn't afraid to tell it like it was. She just could not hold anything back, yet people still wanted to be her friend. Her loyalty to her friends was admirable, and I would love a friend like her! Her husband, Ed, was very supportive to Madeline, and it was easy to see that he loved her. Her oldest daughter, Abigail, was an interesting one. I liked reading about her and seeing how she would turn out throughout everything. (The virginity thing sure was interesting, and I would have done exactly as Madeline!) Madeline's youngest daughter Chloe was cute. She reminded me so much of a younger Madeline. Nathan, Madeline's ex-husband, and his wife Bonnie were other characters that helped flesh out Madeline. I did like Bonnie's carefree personality though. I also loved reading about Celeste, and I felt bad for her many times with what she had to endure. Sure, to others, she had it all - looks, a huge house, a very rich and good looking husband who seemed to adore her, beautiful twin boys - but her pain was obvious throughout, and I could understand her hesitation to do the right thing. Getting to read about her thought process was interesting. Perry, Celeste's husband, came across as very charismatic. It was easy to see why everyone loved him so much. I wanted good things to happen for Jane and her little boy, Ziggy. Jane's love for Ziggy oozed from the pages. The love she had for Ziggy was so sweet. Ziggy seemed like such a cute little boy, and I just wanted to hug him and never let go especially after what happens very early on in the book.
Trigger warnings for Big Little Lies include death, drinking, drunkenness, profanity, domestic violence, violence, and sexual situations (although not graphic).
All in all, Big Little Lies is a delicious morsel of a book. It delves right into the lives of its characters who come to feel like close friends and family by the end of the book. I would definitely recommend Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty to everyone aged 16+ who are in dire need of a fantastic read with a great cast of characters and a plot that sucks you right in!
KalJ95 (25 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019) in Movies
May 5, 2020
Asks more questions than it answers. (3 more)
Fails to recover from the damages of The Last Jedi.
No sense to the narrative.
Some acting is appalling.
Goodbye, Star Wars.
Almost six months from its release, I finally sat down and treated myself to Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. Ever since Disney took over the Star Wars brand, I've been sceptical of their intentions with the property, and so far I've been massively disappointed. I enjoyed the Mandalorian, and still believe Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is easily as good as the original trilogy. Controversial, I know. But the newest trilogy has dropped my interest in Star Wars altogether, as they've so far been bogged down by awful writing, humongous plot holes, and the butchering of beloved characters to make way for wooden new ones. The Force Awakens was a step in the right direction, but the nostalgia factor was what drew me in. Eight years on, it hasn't aged well at all. The Last Jedi became my Stopping point in the Galaxy far, far away. Yes it has flair and popped visually, but the story was an insult to all the fans who had cherished Star Wars back in the days of the Original trilogy. After countless rewrites, multiple directors, and suspicions of actors within feeling disheartened with the over arc of their characters (looking at you, John Boyega), The Rise of Skywalker is finally here to cap of Disney's first trilogy.
What a disaster.
The Rise of Skywalker is an incoherent, messy and boring experience to chug through. Time and time again throughout the two and a half hours, I face palmed in absolute cringe and embarrassment at what Disney have done to this once celebrated franchise. The film feels rushed, on edge to get to the next destination for the newest plot point, without explaining or finishing the previous one, pointing even more towards those rewritten scripts. The film feels like multiple entries, crammed into one sprawling narrative that can't be resolved in the time given, this is especially the case with characters like Poe and Finn, who's arcs have been destroyed to make way for Rey, and that is the biggest issue. Rey has been written as the central moving force of this trilogy, but she never undergoes any development. Sure, she learns a few things about herself in this film, and challenges the idea of who she is for a brief moment, but she’s been made the perfect Jedi without trying. Its poor and lazy writing, and fans have began to feel an agenda is presenting itself. Whilst the women feel strong, wise, intelligent, the men are all morons, blundering their way through the story and often bickering with each other. Its an observation as a critic and fan, and its made me loath almost every character introduced since The Force Awakens. It became clear how little I cared about anything that was happening when a moment of embrace for the three main heroes once the final act ended. It should feel emotional, impactful, but it feels hollow, even forced. Much like most of the decision making of the film itself.
This brings me neatly onto the content of the film, if you can make any sense of it. If this is supposed to end the Skywalker saga once and for all, why add ridiculous plot threads and more pointless characters,that add no weight or purpose to the narrative? The ending is cut so quickly after the anti-climatic ending, that we don’t even have an idea of any characters finishing point. This is just one example of how badly things have spiralled into a mish mash of ideas from different writers and directors. If The Last Jedi was the franchise jumping into a well, this film is trying it's best to climb out. The two previous entries at least connected, but this feels a stand alone chapter, with no context or reason for what happens, and what does happen makes you scratch your head all the more.
I feel sorry for the hardcore fanbase, it genuinely feels like a slap in the face to history George Lucas has created. Once you lose the interest of your core audience, I feel its time to cut your losses. And yet again, another franchise has seen its demise. It feels like a symptomatic failure that the entertainment industry still don’t understand. You can buy any brand you want, but you can’t buy the fans love. Whatever direction Star Wars goes into next, I will not be tuning in.
What a disaster.
The Rise of Skywalker is an incoherent, messy and boring experience to chug through. Time and time again throughout the two and a half hours, I face palmed in absolute cringe and embarrassment at what Disney have done to this once celebrated franchise. The film feels rushed, on edge to get to the next destination for the newest plot point, without explaining or finishing the previous one, pointing even more towards those rewritten scripts. The film feels like multiple entries, crammed into one sprawling narrative that can't be resolved in the time given, this is especially the case with characters like Poe and Finn, who's arcs have been destroyed to make way for Rey, and that is the biggest issue. Rey has been written as the central moving force of this trilogy, but she never undergoes any development. Sure, she learns a few things about herself in this film, and challenges the idea of who she is for a brief moment, but she’s been made the perfect Jedi without trying. Its poor and lazy writing, and fans have began to feel an agenda is presenting itself. Whilst the women feel strong, wise, intelligent, the men are all morons, blundering their way through the story and often bickering with each other. Its an observation as a critic and fan, and its made me loath almost every character introduced since The Force Awakens. It became clear how little I cared about anything that was happening when a moment of embrace for the three main heroes once the final act ended. It should feel emotional, impactful, but it feels hollow, even forced. Much like most of the decision making of the film itself.
This brings me neatly onto the content of the film, if you can make any sense of it. If this is supposed to end the Skywalker saga once and for all, why add ridiculous plot threads and more pointless characters,that add no weight or purpose to the narrative? The ending is cut so quickly after the anti-climatic ending, that we don’t even have an idea of any characters finishing point. This is just one example of how badly things have spiralled into a mish mash of ideas from different writers and directors. If The Last Jedi was the franchise jumping into a well, this film is trying it's best to climb out. The two previous entries at least connected, but this feels a stand alone chapter, with no context or reason for what happens, and what does happen makes you scratch your head all the more.
I feel sorry for the hardcore fanbase, it genuinely feels like a slap in the face to history George Lucas has created. Once you lose the interest of your core audience, I feel its time to cut your losses. And yet again, another franchise has seen its demise. It feels like a symptomatic failure that the entertainment industry still don’t understand. You can buy any brand you want, but you can’t buy the fans love. Whatever direction Star Wars goes into next, I will not be tuning in.
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Tune In: The Beatles: All These Years in Books
Jan 2, 2019
If you don't know by now, I am a huge fan of the Beatles. Both of my children have their own Beatles song (Hey Jude and Help), however my general knowledge of their history is not so great. So when I saw Tune In, I didn't hesitate at the opportunity to read it. Being born in the late 80s I can only imagine what it was like to live in the world of Beatlemania, endure the sorrow of their breakup, and all the years in between. Which is why I am so excited about this book. Something else about me, is that I value history, learning the facts and details about people and time periods. Tune In is an extremely in depth look at the men that changed music forever.
Beginning with their family histories, we learn everything there is to know about the background, the life, the creation of the Beatles. Each chapter covers a few years to a few months, and a single day in some cases, beginning in 1845-1945 with the histories of their families, going through their childhood years in the next chapter (1945-1954), and taking us through to the end of 1962.
I have only begun to scratch the surface of this book and I think it is safe to say...Mind...Blown. So much detail, so much history. I love it! With about 80 pages of Notes and another 10 for Credits Mark Lewisohn has definitely done his research to give us such an in depth account of Beatles history. If you are a fan of the Beatles, you are sure to love reading Tune In. Now to wait for volume two...
I received a free copy of Tune In (The Beatles: All These Years) Volume 1, from the publisher through Blogging for Books. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Beginning with their family histories, we learn everything there is to know about the background, the life, the creation of the Beatles. Each chapter covers a few years to a few months, and a single day in some cases, beginning in 1845-1945 with the histories of their families, going through their childhood years in the next chapter (1945-1954), and taking us through to the end of 1962.
I have only begun to scratch the surface of this book and I think it is safe to say...Mind...Blown. So much detail, so much history. I love it! With about 80 pages of Notes and another 10 for Credits Mark Lewisohn has definitely done his research to give us such an in depth account of Beatles history. If you are a fan of the Beatles, you are sure to love reading Tune In. Now to wait for volume two...
I received a free copy of Tune In (The Beatles: All These Years) Volume 1, from the publisher through Blogging for Books. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Gifted (2017) in Movies
Jan 13, 2019
Good Stuff
After the death of his sister, Frank (Chris Evans) opts to take in his extremely intelligent niece Mary (McKenna Grace) and raise her like he thought his sister would have wanted. His hope is to protect her from growing up too fast, particularly from ending up in the clutches of his mom Evelyn (Lindsay Duncan) who would prefer to hole Mary up in a private institution.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
When I look at characters and how they impact a movie, it’s not just about how intriguing they are, but also about how real they are. I love characters that are flawed and you get that with Frank. He’s just trying to do the right thing by his sister and his niece while still trying to live his own life as well. There are oftentimes where he’s wondering if he’s making the right decision and you’re wondering right along with him. I really appreciate the relationship between him and Mary as it wasn’t all rainbows and lollipops. They’ve clearly had some disagreements, but they love each other through it.
The supporting characters helped to hold the movie up as well. Bonnie (Jenny Slate) was probably my personal favorite as the warm caring teacher who genuinely wants the best for Mary. Both encouraging and sweet, she is another character whose story you get to unpack more and more as the movie progresses.
Cinematography/Visuals: 7
Great imagery and shots of a sleepy town in coastal Florida. There isn’t much to blow you away in the way of cinematography, but I appreciate the consistency at the very least. They keep the scenery fresh throughout which was good enough for me.
Conflict: 8
Genre: 7
Memorability: 8
Pace: 10
Plot: 10
Resolution: 8
Overall: 88
I’ve seen Gifted quite a few times, whether all the way through or in bits and pieces. Everytime I watch it, I find someting different to appreciate it. Solid surprise of a movie.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
When I look at characters and how they impact a movie, it’s not just about how intriguing they are, but also about how real they are. I love characters that are flawed and you get that with Frank. He’s just trying to do the right thing by his sister and his niece while still trying to live his own life as well. There are oftentimes where he’s wondering if he’s making the right decision and you’re wondering right along with him. I really appreciate the relationship between him and Mary as it wasn’t all rainbows and lollipops. They’ve clearly had some disagreements, but they love each other through it.
The supporting characters helped to hold the movie up as well. Bonnie (Jenny Slate) was probably my personal favorite as the warm caring teacher who genuinely wants the best for Mary. Both encouraging and sweet, she is another character whose story you get to unpack more and more as the movie progresses.
Cinematography/Visuals: 7
Great imagery and shots of a sleepy town in coastal Florida. There isn’t much to blow you away in the way of cinematography, but I appreciate the consistency at the very least. They keep the scenery fresh throughout which was good enough for me.
Conflict: 8
Genre: 7
Memorability: 8
Pace: 10
Plot: 10
Resolution: 8
Overall: 88
I’ve seen Gifted quite a few times, whether all the way through or in bits and pieces. Everytime I watch it, I find someting different to appreciate it. Solid surprise of a movie.