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Cody Cook (8 KP) rated Everlasting Dominion: A Theology of the Old Testament in Books
Jun 29, 2018
In Everlasting Dominion: A Theology of the Old Testament (Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 2006), Eugene H. Merrill sets out to provide a theology of the Old Testament which represents the O.T. as a consistent whole that has God as its ultimate source. As such, he supports a high view of biblical inspiration as verbal: “The word of God to the prophets was verbal; and what they spoke and wrote, therefore, was also verbal. The means by which the verbalizing was effected is never disclosed, nor is it necessary to know. The point is that the prophetic word, the highest form of divine revelation, was recognized at the time to be the words of God, a view maintained by virtually unanimous consensus in Jewish and Christian tradition until the inroads of modern criticism.”
Insofar as Merrill is a Christian writing about the Old Testament's theology, this creates a dilemma in regard to the role the New Testament is allowed to play in his interpretation. Merrill acknowledges this from the get go:
“Old Testament theology is the study of biblical theology that employs the methods of that discipline to the Old Testament alone while being aware of the limitations inherent in not addressing the New Testament witness in any comprehensive way. This delimitation can be justified on the grounds that the Old Testament speaks its own message, one that is legitimate and authoritative in every sense of the term even if, from the Christian viewpoint, its message is not ultimately complete.”
As such, his work attempts to focus on what the Old Testament says on its own, though he occasionally appeals to New Testament ideas as a means of providing an additional witness to his interpretation.
Merrill tends to provide basic level interpretation in the canonical order of the Old Testament books. As such, little of his exegesis is particularly creative. However, he does have one unique idea which comes up throughout the book and indeed inspired the title-- the idea that man was made by God as an intermediary for God's dominion over the world:
“The crowning work of creation was the appearance of mankind on the sixth day (Gen. 1:26–28). He is said to be in the image and likeness of God, but the grammar permits and theology favors the idea that he was created as his image and likeness, that is, as God's representative on earth... [This passage] is also the clearest expression of the divine purpose in creation. After all things else had been made and put into their several positions of function and interrelationship, the Lord said, 'Let Us make man [as] Our image, according to Our likeness. They will rule' (Gen. 1:26). The significance of this for communicating a (if not the) major theme of Old Testament theology cannot be overstated, and the fact that it is the first divinely articulated expression of the reason for man's existence makes it doubly significant. What is lacking apparently after the whole cosmos has been spoken into existence is its management, a caretaker as it were who will govern it all according to the will of the Creator. He could have done it himself without mediation, but for reasons never revealed in the sacred record, God elected to reign through a subordinate, a surrogate king responsible only to him.”
Merrill explains what had been lost in this divine intention after the Fall: “No longer did man have dominion over all things; instead, he abdicated his role as sovereign and worshipped what he should have ruled.” However, he still highlights partial fulfillments of the divine plan even after the Fall, such as in the Israelite monarchy:
“The creation mandate that mankind should 'be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it' and 'rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth' (Gen. 1:28) finds tangible expression even if only in a highly preliminary and anticipatory manner. David and his dynastic successors never exhibited this kind of universal dominion, of course, but the limited success they did enjoy, especially under Solomon (cf. 1 Kings 4:20–34), was a foretaste of the splendor, glory, and power of his descendants yet to come at the end of human history.”
Of course, this idea of human dominion as a vice-regent of God would only find its final fulfillment in Christ, the second Adam and the second David:
“If paradise was lost at the fall, it will be regained at the re-creation, not least in the restoration of man's glory as the vice-regent of the King of kings.”
The book seems to go out of its way to contrast the wild speculation of liberal theology, resulting in a work which is so straight-forward as to be dull. This is by no means always the case with Merrill's writings, as his Historical Survey of the Old Testament was one of the most interesting books I read as a new Christian. In Everlasting Dominion, however, where skeptical scholarship always assumes that the text is hiding something, Merrill takes it at face value. The result is a theology of the Old Testament which is more grounded, but that also often fails to soar to the heights that the text might allow for. Instead of elucidation and theologizing, Merrill tends to resort to extended (and I do mean extended) summary of the Hebrew canon.
The one major exception to this tendency is in Merrill's discussion of dominion, which we discussed above in detail. However, more work could certainly have been done on this topic, particularly in regard to how Jesus brings the idea to its fulfillment. Since it is Merrill's goal to explain the Old Testament with as little light from the New as possible, it is difficult to fault him for this. But it's also hard to fault the reader for wanting more when he reads tantalizing sections like this:
“What we propose in the following comments is done with a great deal of tentativeness since, as far as we can determine, we are virtually alone in making the case that Jesus, in his earthly ministry, frequently performed miraculous works to demonstrate not just his full deity but also his role as Urmensch, the second Adam who came to display in character and life what God had intended as the ideal for the whole human race. Without pursuing the biblical arguments for a full-blown Christology that is sensitive to both his divine and human natures, let it be said that there is universal consensus that the New Testament presents Jesus not only as God but also as perfect man.”
That being said, it does seem like an exaggeration to claim that Genesis 1:26 is the key text to understanding Old Testament theology. That it is a major theme, particularly in relation to its underemphasis by most biblical commentators, does not by any means strain credulity. It also seems to be in the back of the mind of many New Testament authors who emphasize restoration of the Kingdom of God involving our reigning with Christ and inheriting the eternal life and dominion over the world which was originally connected with our Edenic charge.
In the final analysis, Everlasting Dominion provides a good straight-forward overview of the Old Testament, but simply doesn't provide enough insight to warrant its nearly 700 pages.
Insofar as Merrill is a Christian writing about the Old Testament's theology, this creates a dilemma in regard to the role the New Testament is allowed to play in his interpretation. Merrill acknowledges this from the get go:
“Old Testament theology is the study of biblical theology that employs the methods of that discipline to the Old Testament alone while being aware of the limitations inherent in not addressing the New Testament witness in any comprehensive way. This delimitation can be justified on the grounds that the Old Testament speaks its own message, one that is legitimate and authoritative in every sense of the term even if, from the Christian viewpoint, its message is not ultimately complete.”
As such, his work attempts to focus on what the Old Testament says on its own, though he occasionally appeals to New Testament ideas as a means of providing an additional witness to his interpretation.
Merrill tends to provide basic level interpretation in the canonical order of the Old Testament books. As such, little of his exegesis is particularly creative. However, he does have one unique idea which comes up throughout the book and indeed inspired the title-- the idea that man was made by God as an intermediary for God's dominion over the world:
“The crowning work of creation was the appearance of mankind on the sixth day (Gen. 1:26–28). He is said to be in the image and likeness of God, but the grammar permits and theology favors the idea that he was created as his image and likeness, that is, as God's representative on earth... [This passage] is also the clearest expression of the divine purpose in creation. After all things else had been made and put into their several positions of function and interrelationship, the Lord said, 'Let Us make man [as] Our image, according to Our likeness. They will rule' (Gen. 1:26). The significance of this for communicating a (if not the) major theme of Old Testament theology cannot be overstated, and the fact that it is the first divinely articulated expression of the reason for man's existence makes it doubly significant. What is lacking apparently after the whole cosmos has been spoken into existence is its management, a caretaker as it were who will govern it all according to the will of the Creator. He could have done it himself without mediation, but for reasons never revealed in the sacred record, God elected to reign through a subordinate, a surrogate king responsible only to him.”
Merrill explains what had been lost in this divine intention after the Fall: “No longer did man have dominion over all things; instead, he abdicated his role as sovereign and worshipped what he should have ruled.” However, he still highlights partial fulfillments of the divine plan even after the Fall, such as in the Israelite monarchy:
“The creation mandate that mankind should 'be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it' and 'rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth' (Gen. 1:28) finds tangible expression even if only in a highly preliminary and anticipatory manner. David and his dynastic successors never exhibited this kind of universal dominion, of course, but the limited success they did enjoy, especially under Solomon (cf. 1 Kings 4:20–34), was a foretaste of the splendor, glory, and power of his descendants yet to come at the end of human history.”
Of course, this idea of human dominion as a vice-regent of God would only find its final fulfillment in Christ, the second Adam and the second David:
“If paradise was lost at the fall, it will be regained at the re-creation, not least in the restoration of man's glory as the vice-regent of the King of kings.”
The book seems to go out of its way to contrast the wild speculation of liberal theology, resulting in a work which is so straight-forward as to be dull. This is by no means always the case with Merrill's writings, as his Historical Survey of the Old Testament was one of the most interesting books I read as a new Christian. In Everlasting Dominion, however, where skeptical scholarship always assumes that the text is hiding something, Merrill takes it at face value. The result is a theology of the Old Testament which is more grounded, but that also often fails to soar to the heights that the text might allow for. Instead of elucidation and theologizing, Merrill tends to resort to extended (and I do mean extended) summary of the Hebrew canon.
The one major exception to this tendency is in Merrill's discussion of dominion, which we discussed above in detail. However, more work could certainly have been done on this topic, particularly in regard to how Jesus brings the idea to its fulfillment. Since it is Merrill's goal to explain the Old Testament with as little light from the New as possible, it is difficult to fault him for this. But it's also hard to fault the reader for wanting more when he reads tantalizing sections like this:
“What we propose in the following comments is done with a great deal of tentativeness since, as far as we can determine, we are virtually alone in making the case that Jesus, in his earthly ministry, frequently performed miraculous works to demonstrate not just his full deity but also his role as Urmensch, the second Adam who came to display in character and life what God had intended as the ideal for the whole human race. Without pursuing the biblical arguments for a full-blown Christology that is sensitive to both his divine and human natures, let it be said that there is universal consensus that the New Testament presents Jesus not only as God but also as perfect man.”
That being said, it does seem like an exaggeration to claim that Genesis 1:26 is the key text to understanding Old Testament theology. That it is a major theme, particularly in relation to its underemphasis by most biblical commentators, does not by any means strain credulity. It also seems to be in the back of the mind of many New Testament authors who emphasize restoration of the Kingdom of God involving our reigning with Christ and inheriting the eternal life and dominion over the world which was originally connected with our Edenic charge.
In the final analysis, Everlasting Dominion provides a good straight-forward overview of the Old Testament, but simply doesn't provide enough insight to warrant its nearly 700 pages.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Testing (The Testing, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<i>The Testing</i> was an interesting read, or should I say... reread?
The first time I read this (I was bored at the mall. I beelined to Barnes & Noble, plucked up a book, hid in a corner, and skimmed), I skimmed it, but I had a general idea of what was going on, what was happening – nothing very detailed. My second read though, was much more thorough and detailed – it was also a refresher of sorts.
<i>The Testing</i> is the first in a trilogy set in a futuristic United States called the United Commonwealth. Every year, the best and brightest of each graduating class in each colony are sent to The Testing, a program designed to pick out potential leaders of the future. When Cia Vale, along with four others from her colony, is chosen to participate in The Testing, her father tells her about his own experience – an experience filled with potential horrors that Cia may come across herself in her Testing.
I love Cia as a character: she's brave, she's intelligent – and oh, do I love the way she handles Will and Tomas when the tension is high between the two later on in the book. If there's ever a potential love triangle in the future, I might not be annoyed if Cia continues to handle them in the next two books the way she handled them in this book (read: I like Cia. I never said I liked Will or Tomas).
That, however, depends. Perhaps my brain will start crying in protest instead.
There doesn't, however, seem to be a major plot or storyline that appear until around the end: <i>The Testing</i> seems to be focused more on how The Testing operates from an inside look and setting up for the second book. Basically, for literally 90% of the book or more, Cia and the other testers are focused on surviving The Testing and making it to the new class of University students.
From early on in the book, similarities to <i>The Hunger Games</i> could be spotted easily: the colonies, the penalty of death, Michal, Cia's relationship with Tomas and Will, etc. Despite all of that though, I highly enjoyed reading through <i>The Testing</i>. The sequel is something that I'll probably enjoy reading (or listening) to as well.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-testing-by-joelle-charbonneau/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
The first time I read this (I was bored at the mall. I beelined to Barnes & Noble, plucked up a book, hid in a corner, and skimmed), I skimmed it, but I had a general idea of what was going on, what was happening – nothing very detailed. My second read though, was much more thorough and detailed – it was also a refresher of sorts.
<i>The Testing</i> is the first in a trilogy set in a futuristic United States called the United Commonwealth. Every year, the best and brightest of each graduating class in each colony are sent to The Testing, a program designed to pick out potential leaders of the future. When Cia Vale, along with four others from her colony, is chosen to participate in The Testing, her father tells her about his own experience – an experience filled with potential horrors that Cia may come across herself in her Testing.
I love Cia as a character: she's brave, she's intelligent – and oh, do I love the way she handles Will and Tomas when the tension is high between the two later on in the book. If there's ever a potential love triangle in the future, I might not be annoyed if Cia continues to handle them in the next two books the way she handled them in this book (read: I like Cia. I never said I liked Will or Tomas).
That, however, depends. Perhaps my brain will start crying in protest instead.
There doesn't, however, seem to be a major plot or storyline that appear until around the end: <i>The Testing</i> seems to be focused more on how The Testing operates from an inside look and setting up for the second book. Basically, for literally 90% of the book or more, Cia and the other testers are focused on surviving The Testing and making it to the new class of University students.
From early on in the book, similarities to <i>The Hunger Games</i> could be spotted easily: the colonies, the penalty of death, Michal, Cia's relationship with Tomas and Will, etc. Despite all of that though, I highly enjoyed reading through <i>The Testing</i>. The sequel is something that I'll probably enjoy reading (or listening) to as well.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-testing-by-joelle-charbonneau/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
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Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Midsommar (2019) in Movies
Jun 26, 2019 (Updated Jul 4, 2019)
When a director like Ari Aster only has two full-length features under his belt, it’s difficult not to compare his works but the truth of the matter is that Hereditary and Midsommar are two incredibly different films. Hereditary seemed to thrive on lurking in the shadows visually to assist in its dark storytelling. Nearly all of Midsommar takes place under blinding sunlight making the horrific events that unfold feel stranger and even more out of place, confusing, and bizarrely unsettling. Based on his two films though, Aster does seem to flock towards a few common themes. Grief, loss, and the inability to cope have plagued the main characters of his films while the importance of family takes a high precedence. Hereditary was more about a specific family attempting to stay together while already being in shambles and Midsommar attempts to create a new family on more than one occasion with the possibility of constant expansion.
Dani’s (Florence Pugh) life is turned inside out once a devastating tragedy leaves her dumbstruck. She leans on her boyfriend of four years, Christian (Jack Reynor), for support, but their relationship is obviously strained. Along with their friends Josh (William Jackson Harper) and Mark (Will Poulter), Dani and Christian end up going on vacation to rural Sweden. They travel to a small village where their friend Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren) grew up and now serves as their host. A rare nine-day festival that only occurs once every 90 years is being celebrated. Josh is utilizing the trip as a means to bulk up his folklore thesis for college while Mark is more interested in partaking in the Swedish women. Christian is attempting to figure out what his thesis will be while Dani searches for some sort of guidance after such a tragic occurrence. Their trip becomes increasingly more peculiar the longer they stay as they’re forced to witness violent rituals and are encouraged to embrace the ways of a Pagan cult.
The intricate illustrations throughout the film like in the opening shot, the elongated love potion cloth, or the walls of the barn-like structure Dani and her friends sleep in, give Midsommar this dark fairy tale aspect to it that a film like Pan’s Labyrinth would be proud of. The Pagan roots of Pelle’s village and the film’s metaphorical feet being so firmly planted in such rich folklore give Midsommar this cautiously fanciful aesthetic. The film capitalizes on the nostalgic sensation of when fairy tales and children’s books were read to you as a child. There are consistent signs that things aren’t right, paranoia lurks around every corner, and the locals set off every ominous alarm in your body, but there’s that naïve part of us buried deep down that wishes for and hopes for a happy ending because cosmetically we believe that is what resides at the end of every fairy tale not written by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm (The Brothers Grimm).
It’s also interesting observing the main and supporting characters of the film or basically all of the “outsider” guests of the festival. Pelle acts as a conduit/guide between his village and the outside world, Josh is a historian/researcher, Mark is a mocker/fool, Dani and Christian are a strained couple, and Connie (Ellora Torchia) and Simon (Archie Madekwe) are a flourishing one. According to Wikipedia, Ari Aster based Dani and Christian’s relationship on a bad breakup. Midsommar is also way funnier than it has any right to be; something Hereditary completely distanced itself from. Midsommar goes out of its way to boast about who Dani’s real family is in the film. The unified chanting, outrageous theatrics, and harmonized moaning may seem like mockery or complete insanity to some. While it is humorous at times, it seems like this is the way the locals can experience everything everyone else does as a cohesive unit. This seems relevant to emotions, hallucinogens, and even sustenance; this cult does everything together.
Midsommar isn’t going to sit right with a lot of people, especially since Ari Aster desired to be confusing when it came to making the film. With all of the drug-taking in the film being so common, Midsommar may leave you feeling as groggy and disoriented as the characters on screen. However, in between the sacrifices, the brutality, the graphic nature of the film, inbred oracles, and plethora of naked mature women moaning in unison there’s something unique and brilliant about Midsommar you can’t find elsewhere. It may draw parallels to films like Robin Hardy’s The Wicker Man and may feel like a bleaker version of The Wizard of Oz on a bad acid trip, but Midsommar is unlike any other film you’ll see this year. In a way, Dani and her friends all get exactly what they came for but the end outcome is that the majority of them bit off more than they could chew. Truth be told, you’ll never look at a bear in a film the same way again even if it does remind you of the Tanooki suit Mario wore in Super Mario Bros 3. This is the type of film where you could literally tell someone everything that happens and it wouldn’t really spoil the film for them. The context of these events is important to witness in succession and in their entirety since what each individual takes away from the film will likely differ person to person.
There’s a deliberate pacing of the film many will find too slow and uneventful as the film’s two and a half hour runtime will already feel daunting. Aster has teased that the original cut of the film was three hours and 45 minutes and he has a version of the film that is 25 minutes longer that was difficult to cut down to the theatrical cut currently in theaters. An extended cut of the film or a large amount of deleted scenes on the Blu-ray (how about that levitation sequence from the trailer?) would certainly be intriguing.
If you enjoy ambiguous filmmaking where everything isn’t explained and the film’s imagery can mean more than one specific thing, then Midsommar may be worth checking out. It is an outlandish experiment by Ari Aster that a large quantity will likely deem a failure. Personally speaking though, Midsommar is such an unconventionally different ceremonial fever dream loaded with preposterousness, beautiful cinematography, hilarity, and anxiety-fueled-dread that it’s not only memorable and bold but also the type of one-of-a-kind film experience I crave whenever the lights dim and the quiet hum of a projector accelerates into a dull yet soothing roar.
Dani’s (Florence Pugh) life is turned inside out once a devastating tragedy leaves her dumbstruck. She leans on her boyfriend of four years, Christian (Jack Reynor), for support, but their relationship is obviously strained. Along with their friends Josh (William Jackson Harper) and Mark (Will Poulter), Dani and Christian end up going on vacation to rural Sweden. They travel to a small village where their friend Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren) grew up and now serves as their host. A rare nine-day festival that only occurs once every 90 years is being celebrated. Josh is utilizing the trip as a means to bulk up his folklore thesis for college while Mark is more interested in partaking in the Swedish women. Christian is attempting to figure out what his thesis will be while Dani searches for some sort of guidance after such a tragic occurrence. Their trip becomes increasingly more peculiar the longer they stay as they’re forced to witness violent rituals and are encouraged to embrace the ways of a Pagan cult.
The intricate illustrations throughout the film like in the opening shot, the elongated love potion cloth, or the walls of the barn-like structure Dani and her friends sleep in, give Midsommar this dark fairy tale aspect to it that a film like Pan’s Labyrinth would be proud of. The Pagan roots of Pelle’s village and the film’s metaphorical feet being so firmly planted in such rich folklore give Midsommar this cautiously fanciful aesthetic. The film capitalizes on the nostalgic sensation of when fairy tales and children’s books were read to you as a child. There are consistent signs that things aren’t right, paranoia lurks around every corner, and the locals set off every ominous alarm in your body, but there’s that naïve part of us buried deep down that wishes for and hopes for a happy ending because cosmetically we believe that is what resides at the end of every fairy tale not written by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm (The Brothers Grimm).
It’s also interesting observing the main and supporting characters of the film or basically all of the “outsider” guests of the festival. Pelle acts as a conduit/guide between his village and the outside world, Josh is a historian/researcher, Mark is a mocker/fool, Dani and Christian are a strained couple, and Connie (Ellora Torchia) and Simon (Archie Madekwe) are a flourishing one. According to Wikipedia, Ari Aster based Dani and Christian’s relationship on a bad breakup. Midsommar is also way funnier than it has any right to be; something Hereditary completely distanced itself from. Midsommar goes out of its way to boast about who Dani’s real family is in the film. The unified chanting, outrageous theatrics, and harmonized moaning may seem like mockery or complete insanity to some. While it is humorous at times, it seems like this is the way the locals can experience everything everyone else does as a cohesive unit. This seems relevant to emotions, hallucinogens, and even sustenance; this cult does everything together.
Midsommar isn’t going to sit right with a lot of people, especially since Ari Aster desired to be confusing when it came to making the film. With all of the drug-taking in the film being so common, Midsommar may leave you feeling as groggy and disoriented as the characters on screen. However, in between the sacrifices, the brutality, the graphic nature of the film, inbred oracles, and plethora of naked mature women moaning in unison there’s something unique and brilliant about Midsommar you can’t find elsewhere. It may draw parallels to films like Robin Hardy’s The Wicker Man and may feel like a bleaker version of The Wizard of Oz on a bad acid trip, but Midsommar is unlike any other film you’ll see this year. In a way, Dani and her friends all get exactly what they came for but the end outcome is that the majority of them bit off more than they could chew. Truth be told, you’ll never look at a bear in a film the same way again even if it does remind you of the Tanooki suit Mario wore in Super Mario Bros 3. This is the type of film where you could literally tell someone everything that happens and it wouldn’t really spoil the film for them. The context of these events is important to witness in succession and in their entirety since what each individual takes away from the film will likely differ person to person.
There’s a deliberate pacing of the film many will find too slow and uneventful as the film’s two and a half hour runtime will already feel daunting. Aster has teased that the original cut of the film was three hours and 45 minutes and he has a version of the film that is 25 minutes longer that was difficult to cut down to the theatrical cut currently in theaters. An extended cut of the film or a large amount of deleted scenes on the Blu-ray (how about that levitation sequence from the trailer?) would certainly be intriguing.
If you enjoy ambiguous filmmaking where everything isn’t explained and the film’s imagery can mean more than one specific thing, then Midsommar may be worth checking out. It is an outlandish experiment by Ari Aster that a large quantity will likely deem a failure. Personally speaking though, Midsommar is such an unconventionally different ceremonial fever dream loaded with preposterousness, beautiful cinematography, hilarity, and anxiety-fueled-dread that it’s not only memorable and bold but also the type of one-of-a-kind film experience I crave whenever the lights dim and the quiet hum of a projector accelerates into a dull yet soothing roar.
Debbiereadsbook (1440 KP) rated Their Bounty (Four Mercenaries #1) in Books
May 30, 2019
took me a while, but i did enjoy it.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Clover is rescued from the hands of traffickers and lands in the lap of a group of mercenaries. Tank, Boar, Pyro and Drake are a well-established group who right some of the world's wrongs, mostly on the wrong side of the line. But Clover is now a witness to a job, and there is a bounty on his head. They need to keep him safe. In the meantime, what harm is a little fun with the young man, huh?
I border-line did not finish this. I kept putting it down and picking it up again. I did though, eventually.
I think what bothered me the most, was the speed at which Clover gave himself to all four of the group. Very quickly, VERY quickly, he is calling Tank Daddy and Pyro and Boar are partaking of Clover’s body. Drake takes a lot longer to come around, but he does, eventually. Maybe it’s just me, maybe I expected Clover to be a bit more. . resistant to what Tank suggests. But he isn’t, he just jumps straight in!
What I did like, though, was that ALL the guys are very different. Tank is the boss, but he is also the biggest baddest mofo in the group. Boar is a bear of a man, but the youngest (not counting Clover) of the group. He has the sweetest soul, for a bad-ish guy! Pyro is a bit bouncy, maybe even a little messed in the head, but it’s Drake who held my attention the most. Drake is clearly against Clover right from the start. He does come around, but it takes him a long time. He makes it clear what his kink is, and what would happen to Clover if Drake got his hands on him, but Clover is non-plussed by that.
All the guys get a voice, but I wasn’t sure if Drake would, since it’s a long time before he does. I’m glad he does though. I think, from what was said here, Drake will come out of himself a lot more now he’s accepted Clover is theirs. He doesn’t say much, but what he did say to Clover carried a lot of weight and says a lot about Drake and his past.
Clover and Tank have the majority voices though.
It is hot off the charts, with Clover the centre of every scene. There are 2/3/4-way scenes, and everyone gets a piece of Clover, not that Clover really minds, he just wants to be safe!
It carries some difficult topics, trafficking, murder, drugs but all dealt with well. I didn’t see any spelling or editing errors to spoil my reading.
I went through Merikan’s entire back catalogue to see if I had read anything else by this author, and it appears not. I would like to read more, even though I struggled with the SPEED at which things moved, I did enjoy it. I wrote 3 stars at the top of the page when I wrote this up, but now I’m typing my review up, I’m upgrading to 4 stars. I think it was just these guys and the way they work, rather than that speed making for a negative reaction to this book. I really want to see what’s gonna happen with these guys, and they will have two more books for me get used to them!
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Clover is rescued from the hands of traffickers and lands in the lap of a group of mercenaries. Tank, Boar, Pyro and Drake are a well-established group who right some of the world's wrongs, mostly on the wrong side of the line. But Clover is now a witness to a job, and there is a bounty on his head. They need to keep him safe. In the meantime, what harm is a little fun with the young man, huh?
I border-line did not finish this. I kept putting it down and picking it up again. I did though, eventually.
I think what bothered me the most, was the speed at which Clover gave himself to all four of the group. Very quickly, VERY quickly, he is calling Tank Daddy and Pyro and Boar are partaking of Clover’s body. Drake takes a lot longer to come around, but he does, eventually. Maybe it’s just me, maybe I expected Clover to be a bit more. . resistant to what Tank suggests. But he isn’t, he just jumps straight in!
What I did like, though, was that ALL the guys are very different. Tank is the boss, but he is also the biggest baddest mofo in the group. Boar is a bear of a man, but the youngest (not counting Clover) of the group. He has the sweetest soul, for a bad-ish guy! Pyro is a bit bouncy, maybe even a little messed in the head, but it’s Drake who held my attention the most. Drake is clearly against Clover right from the start. He does come around, but it takes him a long time. He makes it clear what his kink is, and what would happen to Clover if Drake got his hands on him, but Clover is non-plussed by that.
All the guys get a voice, but I wasn’t sure if Drake would, since it’s a long time before he does. I’m glad he does though. I think, from what was said here, Drake will come out of himself a lot more now he’s accepted Clover is theirs. He doesn’t say much, but what he did say to Clover carried a lot of weight and says a lot about Drake and his past.
Clover and Tank have the majority voices though.
It is hot off the charts, with Clover the centre of every scene. There are 2/3/4-way scenes, and everyone gets a piece of Clover, not that Clover really minds, he just wants to be safe!
It carries some difficult topics, trafficking, murder, drugs but all dealt with well. I didn’t see any spelling or editing errors to spoil my reading.
I went through Merikan’s entire back catalogue to see if I had read anything else by this author, and it appears not. I would like to read more, even though I struggled with the SPEED at which things moved, I did enjoy it. I wrote 3 stars at the top of the page when I wrote this up, but now I’m typing my review up, I’m upgrading to 4 stars. I think it was just these guys and the way they work, rather than that speed making for a negative reaction to this book. I really want to see what’s gonna happen with these guys, and they will have two more books for me get used to them!
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
EmersonRose (320 KP) rated In The Dark Corner I Stood Alone in Books
Nov 20, 2019
I stood alone in a dark corner. My imagination ran wild.”
In the Dark Corner, I stood Alone is a collection of short stories by author Petra Pavlikova, published on June 12th, 2018. These short stories pull together themes of women and fairytales. Telling stories about strong women in stressful situations, difficult because they are real, and how these women pull through, with a healthy dose of the fantastical. The collection itself is a short and easy read as the stories range in length from 5-20 pages each. I loved the beautiful imagery created in these stories as they each take you on fantastic journeys.
The characters in these stories are such strong and relatable women that I fell in love with each one as I read their story. From beginning to end this book captured this beautiful whimsey that kept me captivated in each story. As you read, each has a distinctive story to tell, but they are all in the same unique voice that has a charming but straightforward tone that captures the fairytale quality splendidly. I think that my favorite story may be The Smell of Sweet Lavender, as it tackles a heart-wrenching tale of trying to be true to yourself and the cost it sometimes has on those that you love most. But each was so unique that they held different messages and meanings to them, that I could see myself having a different favorite depending on what mood I was in at the time. This is definitely one of those books that I could see myself re-reading whenever I just wanted to curl up with a sweet set of stories that allow my imagination wander in the realm of fairies and distant kingdoms. The magic in them creates a tone but the themes within them last without extra flare, making them that much more poignant.
The other thing that makes this book really stand out is the remarkable work of the illustrator Anastasia Telegina. From the small flowers and bright colored pages to the exquisite images of the women in the book, the watercolor work is astounding and fits in perfectly with the wanderlust tone of the writing. Each time I saw that stories full image, I was blown away by the beauty and talent. They play with your imagination rather than entirely putting images in your head, keeping the fluidity of the imagination intact while still creating magnificent images. Creating perhaps what is more what a child might imagine from what is described that a realistic picture. This pair clearly makes an excellent team.
These are stories for almost any age in the themes it tackles and the beautiful way in which they are told. While some of the ideas may be intense for a younger audience, the way in which the stories are told make them accessible to any reader. They are important topics dealt with in a way that is natural and very real world, while held within a slightly more fantastical space. I very much enjoyed reading this book and would definitely recommend it. I will be keeping an eye out to read more from this author. Five Stars.
In the Dark Corner, I stood Alone is a collection of short stories by author Petra Pavlikova, published on June 12th, 2018. These short stories pull together themes of women and fairytales. Telling stories about strong women in stressful situations, difficult because they are real, and how these women pull through, with a healthy dose of the fantastical. The collection itself is a short and easy read as the stories range in length from 5-20 pages each. I loved the beautiful imagery created in these stories as they each take you on fantastic journeys.
The characters in these stories are such strong and relatable women that I fell in love with each one as I read their story. From beginning to end this book captured this beautiful whimsey that kept me captivated in each story. As you read, each has a distinctive story to tell, but they are all in the same unique voice that has a charming but straightforward tone that captures the fairytale quality splendidly. I think that my favorite story may be The Smell of Sweet Lavender, as it tackles a heart-wrenching tale of trying to be true to yourself and the cost it sometimes has on those that you love most. But each was so unique that they held different messages and meanings to them, that I could see myself having a different favorite depending on what mood I was in at the time. This is definitely one of those books that I could see myself re-reading whenever I just wanted to curl up with a sweet set of stories that allow my imagination wander in the realm of fairies and distant kingdoms. The magic in them creates a tone but the themes within them last without extra flare, making them that much more poignant.
The other thing that makes this book really stand out is the remarkable work of the illustrator Anastasia Telegina. From the small flowers and bright colored pages to the exquisite images of the women in the book, the watercolor work is astounding and fits in perfectly with the wanderlust tone of the writing. Each time I saw that stories full image, I was blown away by the beauty and talent. They play with your imagination rather than entirely putting images in your head, keeping the fluidity of the imagination intact while still creating magnificent images. Creating perhaps what is more what a child might imagine from what is described that a realistic picture. This pair clearly makes an excellent team.
These are stories for almost any age in the themes it tackles and the beautiful way in which they are told. While some of the ideas may be intense for a younger audience, the way in which the stories are told make them accessible to any reader. They are important topics dealt with in a way that is natural and very real world, while held within a slightly more fantastical space. I very much enjoyed reading this book and would definitely recommend it. I will be keeping an eye out to read more from this author. Five Stars.
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Ross (3284 KP) rated Awaken Online: Catharsis in Books
Jan 4, 2019
Bloody loved it
Catharsis takes the ideas of LitRPG (see Ready Player One for the best known but lowest explored potential example) and goes to town on it, really showing how open such an online world would be to be exploited.
Jason has always been fairly downtrodden in his high-achieving school and is neglected by his parents. One day, Falling Down-style, events transpire to make him snap and shout at his teacher and headmaster, and is expelled. He rushed home and immerses himself in the brand new online world of AO (Awaken Online).
As with Euphora Online (Phil Tucker), AO has been designed with the help of AI to try and maximise the time gamers would want to spend in the game. We are treated to flashbacks by the developers/testers who are seeing the changes the AI is making to the game's code and are trying to assess whether it remains safe for release.
Jason starts the game from scratch but due to an unusual reaction to an initial test is aligned to evil, and is therefore treated with suspicion by the in-game characters meant to help him train and become familiar with his new surroundings. This begins the chain of events that lead Jason to the path of in-game evil, in true Walter White style as one slightly dubious decision after another sees him become embroiled in some very nasty events.
Over the course of the game, Jason is honest with himself and knows what he's doing is bad but hey its just a game, why not have some fun with it. And he does. As his power grows, so does the nastiness of his actions and he soon becomes very powerful in certain ways (but thankfully more strategically and directing the action than suddenly becoming a battle master or he-man).
The world around Jason develops as he does, and his actions truly start to shape his game experience, and that of other people. I can't really go into much more detail without dropping spoilers but there are some absolutely fantastic sequences.
The game supposedly uses time compression so that an hour in the real world will feel like 3 or 4 hours in the game. My one gripe with the book is that when the game developers notice Jason's unprecedented progress through the game they begin to watch his actions and this seems to be real-time - there is no real attempt to explain how they can watch it as it unfolds (or the fact that what they are seeing will have happened quite some time before and events will have continued from there).
This book has more interaction between Jason's real life and in-game life than Euphoria Online did, which helps to explain his motivation for decisions. His real life troubles and requirements drive his desires in-game.
As usual, there is the evil AI/conspiracy aspect to the world, but this doesn't yet feel quite as big a deal as in other books, but I think that is the groundwork laid for the next two books (plus two side-quests).
I heartily recommend this book, but readers should not expect something like Ready Player one, much more like D&D or The Witcher style gaming.
Jason has always been fairly downtrodden in his high-achieving school and is neglected by his parents. One day, Falling Down-style, events transpire to make him snap and shout at his teacher and headmaster, and is expelled. He rushed home and immerses himself in the brand new online world of AO (Awaken Online).
As with Euphora Online (Phil Tucker), AO has been designed with the help of AI to try and maximise the time gamers would want to spend in the game. We are treated to flashbacks by the developers/testers who are seeing the changes the AI is making to the game's code and are trying to assess whether it remains safe for release.
Jason starts the game from scratch but due to an unusual reaction to an initial test is aligned to evil, and is therefore treated with suspicion by the in-game characters meant to help him train and become familiar with his new surroundings. This begins the chain of events that lead Jason to the path of in-game evil, in true Walter White style as one slightly dubious decision after another sees him become embroiled in some very nasty events.
Over the course of the game, Jason is honest with himself and knows what he's doing is bad but hey its just a game, why not have some fun with it. And he does. As his power grows, so does the nastiness of his actions and he soon becomes very powerful in certain ways (but thankfully more strategically and directing the action than suddenly becoming a battle master or he-man).
The world around Jason develops as he does, and his actions truly start to shape his game experience, and that of other people. I can't really go into much more detail without dropping spoilers but there are some absolutely fantastic sequences.
The game supposedly uses time compression so that an hour in the real world will feel like 3 or 4 hours in the game. My one gripe with the book is that when the game developers notice Jason's unprecedented progress through the game they begin to watch his actions and this seems to be real-time - there is no real attempt to explain how they can watch it as it unfolds (or the fact that what they are seeing will have happened quite some time before and events will have continued from there).
This book has more interaction between Jason's real life and in-game life than Euphoria Online did, which helps to explain his motivation for decisions. His real life troubles and requirements drive his desires in-game.
As usual, there is the evil AI/conspiracy aspect to the world, but this doesn't yet feel quite as big a deal as in other books, but I think that is the groundwork laid for the next two books (plus two side-quests).
I heartily recommend this book, but readers should not expect something like Ready Player one, much more like D&D or The Witcher style gaming.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Knitting with Gigi in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Knitting with Gigi is an awesome kid’s book for any child (or adult!) who wants to learn to knit. There are good instructions and wonderful illustrations to help learn the basic cast-on (starting), knit stitch, decreasing (making it a different shape), and bind-off (ending). Some knitting books are very difficult to learn how to knit from, but the instructions in Knitting with Gigi are very clear. 8 kid-friendly projects make up the second half of the book, all of them easy to follow and perfect for a beginner.
Gigi also has a website where kids can join the “Gigi’s kindness corps” and knit for those in need. Her website also includes videos of instructions to get to “the next step” so to speak. The videos explain the purl stitch, different cast-on methods, and techniques of finishing. By the time a young knitter has finished the projects in the book and watched and learned the information in the videos, they will be ready to go further into the knitting world.
I want to point out a wonderful thing that Gigi (who speaks in verse) has said: “Practice makes perfect will never apply. We all make mistakes, no matter how hard we try. So be of good cheer and do not despair. With time and some care you’ll have something to wear.” Every young knitter should hear this—and experienced ones, too!
The only thing I wish this book had touched on (but didn’t mention) is gauge. Gauge is important because everyone knits differently (example: I knit loose with wool and tight with double pointed needles, so my hat or mittens or whatever else I made might not fit, even if i followed the instructions 100%) so sometimes yarn or needle changes have to be made to make sure things fit. The patterns in the book were not dependent on gauge, (which is probably why it wasn’t brought up) but it is still an important thing for any knitter to learn.
Recommendation: boys and girls ages 6+. Adults could learn to knit with their kids with this book too!
**Thank you to Martingale and Company for providing my review copy!**
Gigi also has a website where kids can join the “Gigi’s kindness corps” and knit for those in need. Her website also includes videos of instructions to get to “the next step” so to speak. The videos explain the purl stitch, different cast-on methods, and techniques of finishing. By the time a young knitter has finished the projects in the book and watched and learned the information in the videos, they will be ready to go further into the knitting world.
I want to point out a wonderful thing that Gigi (who speaks in verse) has said: “Practice makes perfect will never apply. We all make mistakes, no matter how hard we try. So be of good cheer and do not despair. With time and some care you’ll have something to wear.” Every young knitter should hear this—and experienced ones, too!
The only thing I wish this book had touched on (but didn’t mention) is gauge. Gauge is important because everyone knits differently (example: I knit loose with wool and tight with double pointed needles, so my hat or mittens or whatever else I made might not fit, even if i followed the instructions 100%) so sometimes yarn or needle changes have to be made to make sure things fit. The patterns in the book were not dependent on gauge, (which is probably why it wasn’t brought up) but it is still an important thing for any knitter to learn.
Recommendation: boys and girls ages 6+. Adults could learn to knit with their kids with this book too!
**Thank you to Martingale and Company for providing my review copy!**