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Debbiereadsbook (1110 KP) rated Victor (Tangled Tentacles #2) in Books
May 19, 2022
It's a lot darker than book one, but I think the love level is so much higher.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I ws gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 2 in the Tangled Tentacles series. It would help, but not totally necessary, to read book 1, Alexi, before this one. This picks up immediately from the end of that one, and the on-going story arc continues here. Actually, I take that back, you probably SHOULD read Alexi first!
I gave 4 stars to Alexi and Danik's story but this one far surpasses that! And I'm still left with questions and I don't freaking care!
Victor finds Azim at the end of book 1, half dead, and he knows straight away, that Azim is two things: a vampire and his mate. And Victor will do anything for his mate, except bond with him, while Azim cannot say yes. Victor is a little too focussed on waiting for Azim to consent, that he doesn't quite put two and two together and get pen and paper to Azim but hey, the Kraken is besotted! But I did love that, that Victor waited.
It takes time for Azim to be fully aware and awake but he knows Victor, deep in his soul and he knows Victor will save him. Azim suffered badly at the hands of a madman, and it takes time for those injuries to heal, with the help of the pool at the bottom of their building and those little snails!
We find out just what Todd was smirking at Alexi and Danik about, but given what that was, Danik was right to punch Alexi! What happens later in the pool though, was both slightly weird and beautiful at the same time. Not saying what but you'll figure it out!
It's a lot darker than book one, given where he was found and what condition Azim was in, but I think the love level is so much higher. Not just the smexy times, I mean the emotional times. Azim and Victor take the time to get to know each other as Azim heals and a lot comes out. Loved that. Smexy times are there, but more on a back burner, I think.
Hints to Markov (another brother) and Cassius (who leads the group looking for the missing shifters) are front and centre, but he is not next. Todd, the only omega and the youngest in the group of 5 brothers, is up next and his story, I think, might knock this off the favourite perch for two reasons: Todd gets 2 mates, and they are dragons!
Still with the questions though, but I'm trying really hard to shut my question asking book brain down, when reading Sayle books, the woman is a master at wrecking my head!
5 dark and deadly, but so much lovely, stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is book 2 in the Tangled Tentacles series. It would help, but not totally necessary, to read book 1, Alexi, before this one. This picks up immediately from the end of that one, and the on-going story arc continues here. Actually, I take that back, you probably SHOULD read Alexi first!
I gave 4 stars to Alexi and Danik's story but this one far surpasses that! And I'm still left with questions and I don't freaking care!
Victor finds Azim at the end of book 1, half dead, and he knows straight away, that Azim is two things: a vampire and his mate. And Victor will do anything for his mate, except bond with him, while Azim cannot say yes. Victor is a little too focussed on waiting for Azim to consent, that he doesn't quite put two and two together and get pen and paper to Azim but hey, the Kraken is besotted! But I did love that, that Victor waited.
It takes time for Azim to be fully aware and awake but he knows Victor, deep in his soul and he knows Victor will save him. Azim suffered badly at the hands of a madman, and it takes time for those injuries to heal, with the help of the pool at the bottom of their building and those little snails!
We find out just what Todd was smirking at Alexi and Danik about, but given what that was, Danik was right to punch Alexi! What happens later in the pool though, was both slightly weird and beautiful at the same time. Not saying what but you'll figure it out!
It's a lot darker than book one, given where he was found and what condition Azim was in, but I think the love level is so much higher. Not just the smexy times, I mean the emotional times. Azim and Victor take the time to get to know each other as Azim heals and a lot comes out. Loved that. Smexy times are there, but more on a back burner, I think.
Hints to Markov (another brother) and Cassius (who leads the group looking for the missing shifters) are front and centre, but he is not next. Todd, the only omega and the youngest in the group of 5 brothers, is up next and his story, I think, might knock this off the favourite perch for two reasons: Todd gets 2 mates, and they are dragons!
Still with the questions though, but I'm trying really hard to shut my question asking book brain down, when reading Sayle books, the woman is a master at wrecking my head!
5 dark and deadly, but so much lovely, stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Debbiereadsbook (1110 KP) rated Markov (Tangled Tentacles #4) in Books
Oct 6, 2022
thoroughly enjoying this series!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book for in the Tangled Tentacles series, and you really do need to read the other three, Alexi, Victor and Todd, before you read this one. There is an on-going story arc that is not really fully recapped here.
The first three books were fab, great and I really loved and enjoyed them. While I did enjoy this one, though, I found it missing. . . .something!
When I sat down to write this, I knew something was off, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but now I'm here, I have had a bit of a light bulb moment and I will come back to it in a mo!
We knew Markov had issues with Cassius, and that they were mates and Cassius had rejected him, so poor Cassius was not seen in a good light up to this point. But when we find out just WHY Cassius did what he did, you fully understand. Markov does too, and that's the most important thing. Once Markov knows the full story, he lets Cassius in, and it really was wonderful to read, them getting to be open with their feelings for each other. How THAT all resolved itself was amazing though.
We find out more about the missing shifters and what's been happening to them. Markov got first-hand experience of that. It does something, though, to his kraken and the result is both amusing and powerful, and both Markov AND Cassius benefit from that.
The other brothers all take part, and we get a lead into what is the final book . . .maybe. . . in this series. Given what happens here, at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, makes me wonder! It's clear from previous books that Kelvin, the last brother, and the F-B-freaking-I-guy who has got him all a-fluster will get together, but I wonder why they didn't get that message before now!
Back to what I felt was missing, and it really did just hit me as I started to type! Markov is a kraken and Cassius is a Hammerhead shark. They do get their smexy times in the sea, but what I really missed, and I've no idea WHY I felt it should be here, but, book feelings, people, was there was no time in the pool at the bottom of the Thalassa building and I missed that! There were no beautiful descriptions of singing from the kraken either. Oh, don't get me, he gets himself HEARD loud and clear, in more ways than one, but in the other books, pool time involves kraken singing and I don't get that here.
Still a very good read, and I am thoroughly enjoying watching these brothers fall one by one. Can't wait for Kelvin and what's gonna happen there!
4 very good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is book for in the Tangled Tentacles series, and you really do need to read the other three, Alexi, Victor and Todd, before you read this one. There is an on-going story arc that is not really fully recapped here.
The first three books were fab, great and I really loved and enjoyed them. While I did enjoy this one, though, I found it missing. . . .something!
When I sat down to write this, I knew something was off, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but now I'm here, I have had a bit of a light bulb moment and I will come back to it in a mo!
We knew Markov had issues with Cassius, and that they were mates and Cassius had rejected him, so poor Cassius was not seen in a good light up to this point. But when we find out just WHY Cassius did what he did, you fully understand. Markov does too, and that's the most important thing. Once Markov knows the full story, he lets Cassius in, and it really was wonderful to read, them getting to be open with their feelings for each other. How THAT all resolved itself was amazing though.
We find out more about the missing shifters and what's been happening to them. Markov got first-hand experience of that. It does something, though, to his kraken and the result is both amusing and powerful, and both Markov AND Cassius benefit from that.
The other brothers all take part, and we get a lead into what is the final book . . .maybe. . . in this series. Given what happens here, at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, makes me wonder! It's clear from previous books that Kelvin, the last brother, and the F-B-freaking-I-guy who has got him all a-fluster will get together, but I wonder why they didn't get that message before now!
Back to what I felt was missing, and it really did just hit me as I started to type! Markov is a kraken and Cassius is a Hammerhead shark. They do get their smexy times in the sea, but what I really missed, and I've no idea WHY I felt it should be here, but, book feelings, people, was there was no time in the pool at the bottom of the Thalassa building and I missed that! There were no beautiful descriptions of singing from the kraken either. Oh, don't get me, he gets himself HEARD loud and clear, in more ways than one, but in the other books, pool time involves kraken singing and I don't get that here.
Still a very good read, and I am thoroughly enjoying watching these brothers fall one by one. Can't wait for Kelvin and what's gonna happen there!
4 very good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Johnny Marr recommended track Gimme Danger by Iggy And The Stooges in Michigan Palace, 10/6/73 by Iggy And The Stooges in Music (curated)
Darren (1599 KP) rated Booksmart (2019) in Movies
Oct 12, 2019
Characters – Amy is the quieter of the two friends, she is planning on going to Africa for her next step, before college that would see her following the plan set in stone, she does enjoy her life without the wild parties, happy to follow the crowds, while dealing with being confidently out. Molly is the leader of the pair, she is class president and believes she is going to do better than all the other students. She does push Amy into a lot of different things and does believe they will follow a set path in life. We do meet a host of colourful characters from the high school and the teachers on this final day, that have all been a big part of the lives of the pair for years.
Performances – The film is centred on two key performances from Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein who shows exceptional chemistry through the film, they also get to show their talents in the individual moments too, with Dever showing the awkward moments her character goes through while Feldstein shines in the over-confidence moments. Billie Lourd goes close to stealing every single scene in the movie, while the rest of the support cast are flawless.
Story – The story follows two high school friends who are ready to take the next step of their lives only to learn that they haven’t had as much fun as the other class mates and decide to spend the last night going for a party like the rest of the students, where they face life’s truths. This is a story that shows us that life needs to have fun, people will be there for people when they need them, only the pair need to learn this before it is too late. It is nice to see that the high schoolers are truly horrible to each other, while most of it is like life, you just don’t get on with everybody, but most of the time you just don’t know their story, their lives or anything about them outside rumours. Set in one 24 hour spell it also shows us just how quickly you can learn about life too.
Comedy – The comedy does come from how over the top certain characters are meant to be, without being anything you would expect to see in real life.
Settings – The film does seem to have a large-scale setting, with all the travelling the characters must do over the single night, it shows how far away the student might live from the school and shows different parties.
Scene of the Movie – Gigi’s boat moment.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The high school only seems to have one year of students in.
Final Thoughts – This is a delightful look at how difficult for life can be for high school students, they are always trying to fit in and stay in their comfort zones, or trying to impress people, it does have the message about making sure you find time for fun in life too.
Overall: Heartfelt teen comedy.
Performances – The film is centred on two key performances from Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein who shows exceptional chemistry through the film, they also get to show their talents in the individual moments too, with Dever showing the awkward moments her character goes through while Feldstein shines in the over-confidence moments. Billie Lourd goes close to stealing every single scene in the movie, while the rest of the support cast are flawless.
Story – The story follows two high school friends who are ready to take the next step of their lives only to learn that they haven’t had as much fun as the other class mates and decide to spend the last night going for a party like the rest of the students, where they face life’s truths. This is a story that shows us that life needs to have fun, people will be there for people when they need them, only the pair need to learn this before it is too late. It is nice to see that the high schoolers are truly horrible to each other, while most of it is like life, you just don’t get on with everybody, but most of the time you just don’t know their story, their lives or anything about them outside rumours. Set in one 24 hour spell it also shows us just how quickly you can learn about life too.
Comedy – The comedy does come from how over the top certain characters are meant to be, without being anything you would expect to see in real life.
Settings – The film does seem to have a large-scale setting, with all the travelling the characters must do over the single night, it shows how far away the student might live from the school and shows different parties.
Scene of the Movie – Gigi’s boat moment.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The high school only seems to have one year of students in.
Final Thoughts – This is a delightful look at how difficult for life can be for high school students, they are always trying to fit in and stay in their comfort zones, or trying to impress people, it does have the message about making sure you find time for fun in life too.
Overall: Heartfelt teen comedy.
A Fascinating Tale Of Obsession, Revenge & Lies
Wow, What an absolute joy this book was to read! THE EX by Freida McFadden is a fascinating tale of obsession, revenge and lies.
Told in alternating chapters between the ex and the new girlfriend, and even though the plot is not an original one by any means as it has been tried and tested many times before, I was, nevertheless, absolutely enthralled by this novel from the very first page, which I attribute to Freida McFadden’s superb writing.
The ex, Francesca Mascolo, is Italian and is expecting to marry her adorable boyfriend, Dr Joel Broder, who works as an Emergency Room physician at the local hospital. They have been together many, many years and have travelled and worked abroad together, until one night he dumps her in a crowded restaurant, saying that their relationship didn’t work for him any more. Francesca repeatedly begs him to reconsider - she is very much in love and can’t afford to pay the rent for their flat on her own earnings.
Cassie Donovan is the new girl, twenty-six-years-old and runs a small, used book-store called Bookland, that she inherited from her grandparents Grandma Bea & Grandpa Marv, when she was twenty-two. Her best friend, Zoe Malloy is also her business partner and they were room-mates at college. Cassie offered her a share in Bookland for some help with running Bookland. Cassie is the accountant and Zoe, who has a degree in Communication, manages the sales. Bookland is in a bit of financial trouble and the girls haven’t yet managed to drag it out of the financial hole it was in when Cassie took over. Zoe is gorgeous with bobbed jet black hair, red lipstick and black nails and glowing personality. She’s chatty, everyone’s friend, and kind to the homeless.
Cassie’s not interested in dating, she’s too busy trying to keep Bookland afloat. And all of her most recent dating endeavours have been bitterly disappointing.
Joel is in his mid-thirties and is very much a “Hot Doctor.” He has vivid blue eyes, a lovely smile, an attractive laugh, and lovely biceps. Joel and Cassie first meet in Bookland and Joel is so sexy that Cassie starts to waver about not dating. He is as attracted to Cassie as she is to him.
I loved that Joel is a bit of a romantic and that there is a connection between the two of them straight-away. One of the best bits of the book is following how their romance develops, however, everyone has a past and some people are keeping secrets and hiding their emotions …
I really liked Freida McFadden’s character development and her straightforward writing style. She managed to create exactly the right amount of suspense to keep the story interesting so that I felt that I needed to read just one more chapter.
Freida McFadden writes with great flair, which helped to make this novel as wonderful as it is. This book will be extremely enjoyable for anyone who loves a good psychological thriller. Overall, THE EX is a highly recommended, incredibly entertaining story with a surprising and fulfilling ending.
{Thank you to Hidden Gems and Freida McFadden for the free copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.}
Told in alternating chapters between the ex and the new girlfriend, and even though the plot is not an original one by any means as it has been tried and tested many times before, I was, nevertheless, absolutely enthralled by this novel from the very first page, which I attribute to Freida McFadden’s superb writing.
The ex, Francesca Mascolo, is Italian and is expecting to marry her adorable boyfriend, Dr Joel Broder, who works as an Emergency Room physician at the local hospital. They have been together many, many years and have travelled and worked abroad together, until one night he dumps her in a crowded restaurant, saying that their relationship didn’t work for him any more. Francesca repeatedly begs him to reconsider - she is very much in love and can’t afford to pay the rent for their flat on her own earnings.
Cassie Donovan is the new girl, twenty-six-years-old and runs a small, used book-store called Bookland, that she inherited from her grandparents Grandma Bea & Grandpa Marv, when she was twenty-two. Her best friend, Zoe Malloy is also her business partner and they were room-mates at college. Cassie offered her a share in Bookland for some help with running Bookland. Cassie is the accountant and Zoe, who has a degree in Communication, manages the sales. Bookland is in a bit of financial trouble and the girls haven’t yet managed to drag it out of the financial hole it was in when Cassie took over. Zoe is gorgeous with bobbed jet black hair, red lipstick and black nails and glowing personality. She’s chatty, everyone’s friend, and kind to the homeless.
Cassie’s not interested in dating, she’s too busy trying to keep Bookland afloat. And all of her most recent dating endeavours have been bitterly disappointing.
Joel is in his mid-thirties and is very much a “Hot Doctor.” He has vivid blue eyes, a lovely smile, an attractive laugh, and lovely biceps. Joel and Cassie first meet in Bookland and Joel is so sexy that Cassie starts to waver about not dating. He is as attracted to Cassie as she is to him.
I loved that Joel is a bit of a romantic and that there is a connection between the two of them straight-away. One of the best bits of the book is following how their romance develops, however, everyone has a past and some people are keeping secrets and hiding their emotions …
I really liked Freida McFadden’s character development and her straightforward writing style. She managed to create exactly the right amount of suspense to keep the story interesting so that I felt that I needed to read just one more chapter.
Freida McFadden writes with great flair, which helped to make this novel as wonderful as it is. This book will be extremely enjoyable for anyone who loves a good psychological thriller. Overall, THE EX is a highly recommended, incredibly entertaining story with a surprising and fulfilling ending.
{Thank you to Hidden Gems and Freida McFadden for the free copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.}
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Playing with Matches in Books
Mar 10, 2019
Good read, especially for those young & dating
Sasha Goldberg's plans as a writer are quickly derailed when her boss tells her he doesn't have the funds to hire her on after her graduation. She's stuck--in New York City--without a Plan B. When she sees a job listing for a matchmaker, she's intrigued. Sasha's secret is that her parents met through a kind of matchmaker: her father chose her mom through a catalog and paid for her to come to the United States from Russia. Of course, it didn't exactly work out (they're divorced), but Sasha uses the story to get hired on at Bliss, an exclusive NYC matchmaking service. She's hopeful the job will tide her over while she waits for a writing gig. And, she thinks, she has to know something about love, since she's successfully with her boyfriend, Jonathan, who works around-the-clock in his Wall Street gig. But matchmaking isn't as easy as it looks--it's a lot of stressful Tinder swiping and tracking down potential mates in random ways--and it becomes even more complicated when Sasha develops a crush on one of her client's matches. One of the firm's rules is that matches are off-limits. Sasha's struggling: can she keep it all together?
This is one of those books where I find myself going into it warily, because you just know things are going to come crashing down, and you (me) are not 100% sure you want to be there for all of it. It's not a secret (it's in the book description) that Sasha and Jonathan break up and that she gets into a relationship with Adam, one of her client's matches. For some reason, I often have an issue with these sorts of books where the character just makes bad choices: Sasha makes no attempt to avoid what will be an inevitable downfall with Adam, so I found myself cringing as she made a string of poor decisions.
That's not to say Sasha isn't an engaging character. This book is very readable, and I certainly liked Sasha and reading about her life. However, I can't lie:I probably am a little older than the target audience for this novel. It offers a fun and engaging look at the dating scene in New York, but there wasn't a lot I could relate to. I felt protective of Sasha, not empathetic to her, if that makes any sense. Honestly, the book just made me feel relieved I no longer have to date or deal with basically anything Sasha had to endure during the course of this novel.
Still, Orenstein does a good job at capturing Sasha's voice and what it's like to be a young twenty-something trying to survive in the city. Sasha's relationship with her best friend Caroline and her mom are well-done. I didn't think there was as much overall about matchmaking as a job as I'd hoped--it seemed to be a lot of Tinder swiping and chatting--so that was a little bit of a bummer, but there was enough to know it's a job I'd never want!
Overall, if you're young and still dating, you'll probably really enjoy this book--especially if you live in a city. If not, some of its essence may be a bit lost of you, but you'll still like Orenstein's witty writing and the arc of Sasha's struggles.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
This is one of those books where I find myself going into it warily, because you just know things are going to come crashing down, and you (me) are not 100% sure you want to be there for all of it. It's not a secret (it's in the book description) that Sasha and Jonathan break up and that she gets into a relationship with Adam, one of her client's matches. For some reason, I often have an issue with these sorts of books where the character just makes bad choices: Sasha makes no attempt to avoid what will be an inevitable downfall with Adam, so I found myself cringing as she made a string of poor decisions.
That's not to say Sasha isn't an engaging character. This book is very readable, and I certainly liked Sasha and reading about her life. However, I can't lie:I probably am a little older than the target audience for this novel. It offers a fun and engaging look at the dating scene in New York, but there wasn't a lot I could relate to. I felt protective of Sasha, not empathetic to her, if that makes any sense. Honestly, the book just made me feel relieved I no longer have to date or deal with basically anything Sasha had to endure during the course of this novel.
Still, Orenstein does a good job at capturing Sasha's voice and what it's like to be a young twenty-something trying to survive in the city. Sasha's relationship with her best friend Caroline and her mom are well-done. I didn't think there was as much overall about matchmaking as a job as I'd hoped--it seemed to be a lot of Tinder swiping and chatting--so that was a little bit of a bummer, but there was enough to know it's a job I'd never want!
Overall, if you're young and still dating, you'll probably really enjoy this book--especially if you live in a city. If not, some of its essence may be a bit lost of you, but you'll still like Orenstein's witty writing and the arc of Sasha's struggles.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
Darren (1599 KP) rated This Is England (2007) in Movies
Dec 2, 2019
Verdict: Gritty, Hard Hitting Reality Check
Story: This is England starts as young boy Shaun (Turgoose) is struggling with the death of his father in conflict in 1983, he gets picked on at school, he doesn’t fit in, until a group of skinheads led by Woody (Gilgun) welcoming him into their circle of friends for an afternoon of trouble, while his mother Cynth (Hartley) isn’t completely happy with this group, she does see him being happy for the first time in years.
When the other leader of the group Combo (Graham) gets out of prisons, he brings a more aggressive nature to what the gang wants to be, despite Woody, just wanting it to be friends hanging out.
Thoughts on This is England
Characters – Shaun is a 12-year-old boy that has suffered with the loss of his own father’s death in the Falklands, he gets bullied by the other school kids and has always just been left feeling alone in the world. The only people that let him in are Woody and the gang of skin heads who just want to hang out and soon gets drawn into a darker side by the more aggressive leaders of the gang. Combo is the older leader of the gang that doesn’t hold back with his hatred to other races in his country, he will fight anybody who goes again his gang too, being a horrendous role model for Shaun. Cynth is the mother of Shaun, she wants to see her son enjoying his life more but is getting worried about his own life choices. Woody is the member of the skin head gang that invites Shaun into the gang, he wants to help him fight back against the bullies, by offering somebody to hang out with.
Performances – Thomas Turgoose in the leading role is fantastic as we see just how he is dealing with his own grief in all the wrong places. Stephen Graham steals the show with his hyper aggressive character, while the rest of the cast do make us feel like we are watching mates hanging out.
Story – The story here follows a 12-year-old boy that ends up joining a skinhead gang after he struggles to find a way to deal with the grief in his life from his father’s death. The story does tackle just how difficult grief could be for the children of the victims of war, with Shaun having his school friends pick on him because of his father’s death, which in todays, not the 80s wouldn’t be acceptable in anyway, with everybody being more supportive. The idea of joining the gang and just how the gang soon starts to consume his life, effecting his behaviour shows how being given the wrong lines to follow will not make life any easier. We do see how the world has changed since the 80s and how the skinhead culture should never be forced onto anybody.
Crime – The crime world we get placed into here it, involves the violent behaviour of the skinhead gangs to anybody that doesn’t fit into their profile.
Settings – The film is set in the midlands of the UK which does show the neighbours that would have been struggling in the 1980s.
Scene of the Movie – The first day out with the gang.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – 12-year-old dating an 18-year-old seems weird.
Final Thoughts – This film does show the violence being pushed onto people if they can’t deal with grief when they have nobody else in their lives.
Overall: Violent Drama.
Story: This is England starts as young boy Shaun (Turgoose) is struggling with the death of his father in conflict in 1983, he gets picked on at school, he doesn’t fit in, until a group of skinheads led by Woody (Gilgun) welcoming him into their circle of friends for an afternoon of trouble, while his mother Cynth (Hartley) isn’t completely happy with this group, she does see him being happy for the first time in years.
When the other leader of the group Combo (Graham) gets out of prisons, he brings a more aggressive nature to what the gang wants to be, despite Woody, just wanting it to be friends hanging out.
Thoughts on This is England
Characters – Shaun is a 12-year-old boy that has suffered with the loss of his own father’s death in the Falklands, he gets bullied by the other school kids and has always just been left feeling alone in the world. The only people that let him in are Woody and the gang of skin heads who just want to hang out and soon gets drawn into a darker side by the more aggressive leaders of the gang. Combo is the older leader of the gang that doesn’t hold back with his hatred to other races in his country, he will fight anybody who goes again his gang too, being a horrendous role model for Shaun. Cynth is the mother of Shaun, she wants to see her son enjoying his life more but is getting worried about his own life choices. Woody is the member of the skin head gang that invites Shaun into the gang, he wants to help him fight back against the bullies, by offering somebody to hang out with.
Performances – Thomas Turgoose in the leading role is fantastic as we see just how he is dealing with his own grief in all the wrong places. Stephen Graham steals the show with his hyper aggressive character, while the rest of the cast do make us feel like we are watching mates hanging out.
Story – The story here follows a 12-year-old boy that ends up joining a skinhead gang after he struggles to find a way to deal with the grief in his life from his father’s death. The story does tackle just how difficult grief could be for the children of the victims of war, with Shaun having his school friends pick on him because of his father’s death, which in todays, not the 80s wouldn’t be acceptable in anyway, with everybody being more supportive. The idea of joining the gang and just how the gang soon starts to consume his life, effecting his behaviour shows how being given the wrong lines to follow will not make life any easier. We do see how the world has changed since the 80s and how the skinhead culture should never be forced onto anybody.
Crime – The crime world we get placed into here it, involves the violent behaviour of the skinhead gangs to anybody that doesn’t fit into their profile.
Settings – The film is set in the midlands of the UK which does show the neighbours that would have been struggling in the 1980s.
Scene of the Movie – The first day out with the gang.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – 12-year-old dating an 18-year-old seems weird.
Final Thoughts – This film does show the violence being pushed onto people if they can’t deal with grief when they have nobody else in their lives.
Overall: Violent Drama.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Defiance (Rise of the Iliri #3) in Books
Mar 3, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
HER ONLY CHOICE IS TO CHANGE HER WORLD…
Salryc Luxx has come a long way in just four years, from slave to conscript, to elite Black Blade assassin, rising rapidly as her extraordinary abilities are revealed. Promoted to lieutenant after capturing a valuable shipment of metals and laying waste to the invading force, she and Cyno, her partner (in war and love), have been entrusted with a dangerous mission: to assassinate the King of Anglia and the five nobles in line for the throne, leaving the path to ascension clear for their own leader.
That’s one side of the story. The other is that she and Cyno have been assigned this suicide mission as Parliament’s first pass at removing the iliri taint from the military. Either way, without the strength of allies, the Conglomerate of Free Citizens cannot turn back the invaders, whose goal is to wipe out the whole iliri species, so Sal and Cyno are the only hope of ending the continental war devastating their species. Traveling for months, they are so far away from their home base that they’re beyond the mental link that connects the pack. They remain committed to their mission—and to each other, but… unhappily disturbed. They can only hope their separation from the pack bring them closer together. But the danger is, in the absence of the pack, their bond will wither.
A kind deed, helping what they take to be a wounded animal, leads to the discovery of their true nature, to strengthening and re-energizing their pack, and to a surprising alliance that offers hope for the future. The wounded animal, they learn, is a graour wolf, a species of ferocious warriors with language and traits nearly identical to iliri. When two of them ask to join her pack, Sal recruits them as Black Blades and the iliri are no longer the only dog in the fight for iliri freedom.
But Anglia is nothing like the Conglomerate of Free Citizens. Anglians discriminate based on gender, not species. Iliri are thought to be just a myth--until Sal shows her face. To convince the king and his council that yes, a woman really can be a soldier, she's going to have to make her own rules. The enemy is moving. She doesn't have time to deal with outdated court manners.
As the defiance of an entire species rises up in her, she really has no choice—she’ll just have to change the world.
Women readers will thrill to the reverse harem idea that pushes the boundaries of epic fantasy in this second world series that may remind some of Avatar without the scary beasts; or even Game Of Thrones, but happier, with more color—and a dazzling female protagonist. Fans of Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern will find Sal’s planet Ogun a thrilling destination for their next fantasy fix
They just keep getting better! Sal and Cyno are out on their own and they are kicking up a storm! We get to meet the Graour who the Iliri are descended from! We get a chance to see a whole new world building. I love the new characters and you are with them every step of the way on the battlefield it's also such a good feeling when the black blades are all back together and loving their new pack mates. It was only a matter of time before Cyno became her number 1 I'm glad Blaec took it well. Looking forward to book 4!
Salryc Luxx has come a long way in just four years, from slave to conscript, to elite Black Blade assassin, rising rapidly as her extraordinary abilities are revealed. Promoted to lieutenant after capturing a valuable shipment of metals and laying waste to the invading force, she and Cyno, her partner (in war and love), have been entrusted with a dangerous mission: to assassinate the King of Anglia and the five nobles in line for the throne, leaving the path to ascension clear for their own leader.
That’s one side of the story. The other is that she and Cyno have been assigned this suicide mission as Parliament’s first pass at removing the iliri taint from the military. Either way, without the strength of allies, the Conglomerate of Free Citizens cannot turn back the invaders, whose goal is to wipe out the whole iliri species, so Sal and Cyno are the only hope of ending the continental war devastating their species. Traveling for months, they are so far away from their home base that they’re beyond the mental link that connects the pack. They remain committed to their mission—and to each other, but… unhappily disturbed. They can only hope their separation from the pack bring them closer together. But the danger is, in the absence of the pack, their bond will wither.
A kind deed, helping what they take to be a wounded animal, leads to the discovery of their true nature, to strengthening and re-energizing their pack, and to a surprising alliance that offers hope for the future. The wounded animal, they learn, is a graour wolf, a species of ferocious warriors with language and traits nearly identical to iliri. When two of them ask to join her pack, Sal recruits them as Black Blades and the iliri are no longer the only dog in the fight for iliri freedom.
But Anglia is nothing like the Conglomerate of Free Citizens. Anglians discriminate based on gender, not species. Iliri are thought to be just a myth--until Sal shows her face. To convince the king and his council that yes, a woman really can be a soldier, she's going to have to make her own rules. The enemy is moving. She doesn't have time to deal with outdated court manners.
As the defiance of an entire species rises up in her, she really has no choice—she’ll just have to change the world.
Women readers will thrill to the reverse harem idea that pushes the boundaries of epic fantasy in this second world series that may remind some of Avatar without the scary beasts; or even Game Of Thrones, but happier, with more color—and a dazzling female protagonist. Fans of Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern will find Sal’s planet Ogun a thrilling destination for their next fantasy fix
They just keep getting better! Sal and Cyno are out on their own and they are kicking up a storm! We get to meet the Graour who the Iliri are descended from! We get a chance to see a whole new world building. I love the new characters and you are with them every step of the way on the battlefield it's also such a good feeling when the black blades are all back together and loving their new pack mates. It was only a matter of time before Cyno became her number 1 I'm glad Blaec took it well. Looking forward to book 4!
Micro Machines
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The legendary MICRO MACHINES gameplay returns in this all-new multiplayer combat racer from...