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Lee (2222 KP) rated Black Christmas (2019) in Movies
Dec 13, 2019
Back in 1974, a low-budget Canadian horror movie by the name of Black Christmas was released and was one of the first to define the slasher movie template that we've now become so heavily accustomed to. Black Christmas already got a remake back in 2006 and now we have another, coming this time from powerhouse movie studio Blumhouse and directed/co-written by Sophia Takal.
Black Christmas retains its campus setting as a group of sorority sisters, all seniors at Hawthorne University, prepare for the end of term and the Christmas holidays. While a group of girls are celebrating one night, one of their friends is being terrorised by a robed killer as she walks home alone down a quiet snowy street, adorned with Christmas decorations. It's all pretty generic stuff so far, and in terms of horror and suspense, that's all we get for about the next 30 minutes or so while the movie shifts down a few gears and tries to introduce us to some characters and some kind of plot.
Riley (Imogen Poots) is one of only a couple of characters who you'll remember come the end of the movie. After passing out at a frat party a few years earlier, Riley was sexually assaulted, and she and her friends are now preparing to sing at another frat party which her accused rapist will also be attending. While looking around the house for a friend who seems to have gone missing, Riley opens the door on a hidden room where she observes a strange ceremony - pledges, wearing medieval robes and masks, are being daubed with some kind of black goo that's oozing from the eyes of a bust depicting the University's founder. She leaves them to it, and heads back to the party, not before rescuing her lost friend from the unwanted advances of another frat boy in his room.
Riley goes on to perform with her friends, a routine which turns out to be a carefully choreographed prank song - worded as a call out to the toxic masculinity and frat rape culture that Riley and so many other girls have experienced first hand. Needless to say, this doesn't go down too well with the boys, even more so when a video of the routine goes viral the next day.
Meanwhile, another one of the sisters is currently in the process of gathering signatures for a petition, in an attempt to get their English professor (Cary Elwes) sacked for not including enough diversity in his curriculum. So, when some of the lesser known female characters begin disappearing, and our main cast begin receiving mysterious and threatening messages on their phones, there are certainly plenty of potential suspects to choose from. Eventually, the killer makes it into the sorority house where Riley and her friends are, and it's up to them all to work together in order to outwit and defeat the killer.
I'm a big fan of the 'final girl' movie, where the seemingly indestructible female lead goes from downtrodden victim to badass warrior (see 'You're Next', or this years hugely enjoyable 'Ready Or Not'), remaining as sole survivor once the dust has settled and the movie comes to its satisfying conclusion. I was really hoping for Black Christmas to follow in that vein, and it's clearly what the filmmakers were aiming for too. But, despite its well-intentioned premise, Black Christmas completely fails to deliver. Death scenes are rushed, not even particularly inventive, and because it is so drearily written and poorly directed, you barely know or even care who most of the victims are anyway. Following a slow and messy first half, the movie then takes a turn towards the supernatural, culminating in a frankly ridiculous final act and cementing this movie firmly in my worst 5 movies of 2019!
Black Christmas retains its campus setting as a group of sorority sisters, all seniors at Hawthorne University, prepare for the end of term and the Christmas holidays. While a group of girls are celebrating one night, one of their friends is being terrorised by a robed killer as she walks home alone down a quiet snowy street, adorned with Christmas decorations. It's all pretty generic stuff so far, and in terms of horror and suspense, that's all we get for about the next 30 minutes or so while the movie shifts down a few gears and tries to introduce us to some characters and some kind of plot.
Riley (Imogen Poots) is one of only a couple of characters who you'll remember come the end of the movie. After passing out at a frat party a few years earlier, Riley was sexually assaulted, and she and her friends are now preparing to sing at another frat party which her accused rapist will also be attending. While looking around the house for a friend who seems to have gone missing, Riley opens the door on a hidden room where she observes a strange ceremony - pledges, wearing medieval robes and masks, are being daubed with some kind of black goo that's oozing from the eyes of a bust depicting the University's founder. She leaves them to it, and heads back to the party, not before rescuing her lost friend from the unwanted advances of another frat boy in his room.
Riley goes on to perform with her friends, a routine which turns out to be a carefully choreographed prank song - worded as a call out to the toxic masculinity and frat rape culture that Riley and so many other girls have experienced first hand. Needless to say, this doesn't go down too well with the boys, even more so when a video of the routine goes viral the next day.
Meanwhile, another one of the sisters is currently in the process of gathering signatures for a petition, in an attempt to get their English professor (Cary Elwes) sacked for not including enough diversity in his curriculum. So, when some of the lesser known female characters begin disappearing, and our main cast begin receiving mysterious and threatening messages on their phones, there are certainly plenty of potential suspects to choose from. Eventually, the killer makes it into the sorority house where Riley and her friends are, and it's up to them all to work together in order to outwit and defeat the killer.
I'm a big fan of the 'final girl' movie, where the seemingly indestructible female lead goes from downtrodden victim to badass warrior (see 'You're Next', or this years hugely enjoyable 'Ready Or Not'), remaining as sole survivor once the dust has settled and the movie comes to its satisfying conclusion. I was really hoping for Black Christmas to follow in that vein, and it's clearly what the filmmakers were aiming for too. But, despite its well-intentioned premise, Black Christmas completely fails to deliver. Death scenes are rushed, not even particularly inventive, and because it is so drearily written and poorly directed, you barely know or even care who most of the victims are anyway. Following a slow and messy first half, the movie then takes a turn towards the supernatural, culminating in a frankly ridiculous final act and cementing this movie firmly in my worst 5 movies of 2019!
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Taryn K (444 KP) rated Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu Volume 1 (manga) in Books
Apr 14, 2022
The characters are well-developed. (3 more)
The art is very nice, with the characters and scenery not being 'too cartoony', but still consistent and appealing.
Each chapter (at least in this volume) is a self-contained story, but very much part of the whole.
There are several notes right under the panels for translating food terms on the page the food is on, as well as a page of food vocabulary at the back in German and Japanese, which is very helpful.
Sitting down with a nice cold mug of Whatsontapp in another world
_Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu, volume 1_ is a quiet slice of life isekai manga about a Japanese eatery (Izakaya) run by a chef named Nobu and his staff member, Shinobu. Through supernatural means that aren't explained until a much later volume, the eatery somehow has a back door in modern Japan, but the front door is in a medieval Germanic country known as Eiteriach, in a world with two moons.
The eatery just 'suddenly appeared' in town and soldiers and locals, and eventually members of the nobility visit in the six chapters of the book, and Chef Nobu and Shinobu-chan are always up for creating something delicious for whomever is visiting at the time. Most issues that come up are taken care of in the chapter they're brought up, and while there are issues that could be explored, like the commander's refusal to eat fried squid tentacles which we end up finding out why in a later volume, they aren't cliffhanger material. The book is written in such a way that if there hadn't been a volume 2-9, it still feels like a complete collection of stories, yet each volume builds on the previous one.
That said, the art is very anime, by which I mean that it is somewhat realistic, but still very cute and a bit exaggerated. The characters are well thought out and slowly introduced one or two at a time, other than the first chapter where we not only meet the chef and Shinobu, but two members of the military, Nikolaus and Hans and eat oden. The second chapter, we meet Commander Bertholdt and eat kara-age chicken. Chapter three, it's Tax Collecter, Gehrnot with spaghetti Napolitan. Chapter four is Viscount Johan Gustav and his niece, Hildegard, enjoying Ankake Yudofu. In chapter five, merchants Ignatz and Kamil discover sashimi and Kaisendon. The sixth and final chapter for this volume brings us back around to Nikolaus and Hans experiencing Tonjiro for the first time.
This manga is all about food and community. So everyone who comes in eventually fits back into the story, interacting with various people in the community, with food very much a part of the interactions. So descriptions of the food and how amazing it is and how different it is from anything in Eiteriach and how well it goes with the draft beer they call "Whatsontapp" make up a good deal of the book. Somehow Chef Nobu always understands what they want, even though the words they use for what they want are German, For example, Commander Bertholdt asks for a huhn dish that goes well with whatsontapp. The chef knows he wants chicken and fries him up kara-age chicken, which is what he calls it. There is mention of schweinefleisch (pork), and mustard/karashi/senf... the translation notes underneath and in the back are very helpful.
It's not a manga to read if you want action, adventure, and excitement, but for a delicious little series to settle down with in between times, it is delightful. I recommend it highly.
The eatery just 'suddenly appeared' in town and soldiers and locals, and eventually members of the nobility visit in the six chapters of the book, and Chef Nobu and Shinobu-chan are always up for creating something delicious for whomever is visiting at the time. Most issues that come up are taken care of in the chapter they're brought up, and while there are issues that could be explored, like the commander's refusal to eat fried squid tentacles which we end up finding out why in a later volume, they aren't cliffhanger material. The book is written in such a way that if there hadn't been a volume 2-9, it still feels like a complete collection of stories, yet each volume builds on the previous one.
That said, the art is very anime, by which I mean that it is somewhat realistic, but still very cute and a bit exaggerated. The characters are well thought out and slowly introduced one or two at a time, other than the first chapter where we not only meet the chef and Shinobu, but two members of the military, Nikolaus and Hans and eat oden. The second chapter, we meet Commander Bertholdt and eat kara-age chicken. Chapter three, it's Tax Collecter, Gehrnot with spaghetti Napolitan. Chapter four is Viscount Johan Gustav and his niece, Hildegard, enjoying Ankake Yudofu. In chapter five, merchants Ignatz and Kamil discover sashimi and Kaisendon. The sixth and final chapter for this volume brings us back around to Nikolaus and Hans experiencing Tonjiro for the first time.
This manga is all about food and community. So everyone who comes in eventually fits back into the story, interacting with various people in the community, with food very much a part of the interactions. So descriptions of the food and how amazing it is and how different it is from anything in Eiteriach and how well it goes with the draft beer they call "Whatsontapp" make up a good deal of the book. Somehow Chef Nobu always understands what they want, even though the words they use for what they want are German, For example, Commander Bertholdt asks for a huhn dish that goes well with whatsontapp. The chef knows he wants chicken and fries him up kara-age chicken, which is what he calls it. There is mention of schweinefleisch (pork), and mustard/karashi/senf... the translation notes underneath and in the back are very helpful.
It's not a manga to read if you want action, adventure, and excitement, but for a delicious little series to settle down with in between times, it is delightful. I recommend it highly.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Festival! in Tabletop Games
Nov 24, 2020
Remember music festivals, or concerts of any kind? I most certainly do. I used to perform almost every weekend with my band pre-COVID. Well, I havenât performed in over eight months as of this writing. I miss it so much. So when I heard that a designer was working on a game about musicians putting on music festivals I just had to check it out.
Festival! is a competitive set collection game for larger groups, three to seven players. It is set in a medieval kingdom and the game lasts for four festivals. During the game players will be collecting sets of cards to be scored immediately and collecting other cards to be scored at the gameâs end.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, but give an idea of how the game plays. You are invited to download the rulebook, back the game through the forthcoming Kickstarter campaign, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, place the board in the middle of the table. Each player chooses a color of pawn to represent them and places one pawn on the 0 space upon the scoring track and the other pawn in the Festival! area upon the board. The game comes with four different types of cards and each type will be shuffled and placed face-down in stacks as in the photo below. Place the festival marker on either the 0 or 4 space (the rules are not clear, but it is to track the number of festivals, so just choose one) and give the first player busteeple to the youngest player. The game may now begin.
Festival! is played over several turns, but the first three turns will see players taking turns to travel to the different areas of the board and collect cards once they arrive. The initial Festival! area is located between the City and Village areas so a player can choose to move their pawn into either of those areas. As is printed on the board areas themselves, when players arrive in the Country they will immediately draw three Ensemble (green) cards to their hand and their turn is over. A trip to the Village affords the player two Ensemble cards to be drawn, while a visit to the City will allow a player to either draw one Ensemble card OR play as many cards from their hand as they choose. Finally, should the playerâs wanderlust urge them to the Palace, they may draw a Palace card to be played to their tableau immediately. Movement from one area to the next is always done to the adjacent area. So if in the Village a player may only move to either the Country or the City. If in the Country a player may only move to the Village.
As I mentioned, the first three turns are head start rounds where players are merely collecting cards to amass a hand (of limit 7) of cards that can be played in sets in their personal tableau. These cards are divided into Exotic, Percussion, Melodic, and Choir cards. Players may play as many cards as they like when in the City, but will score bonus set and superset points if they are able to lay down multiple unique cards in each group. For example, a Horn card is worth one VP alone, but with three other unique Melodic cards earns bonus points for the entire set.
After the first three turns have been played, the first player will then flip a Festival card (stacked on the game board) at the beginning of each turn. It is from this stack that the four âFestival!â cards are located, and they are the time trackers for the game. If the result is âPreparation,â the turns continue as normal with no change. However, should the flipped card be a âFestival!â face, then players within range of the Festival Stages may claim a stage and participate in the festival. Participation in the festival simply means that players may play cards as normally played in the City, but then are entitled to one of the drawn Finale cards. These cards are scored at the end of the game and typically award bonus points for various reasons.
Play continues in this fashion of traveling the board areas to collect cards, performing in festivals, and earning the most amount of VP at game end, which is immediately following the fourth festival. The player with the most VP is the winner!
Components. Again, this is a prototype copy of the game, so the components may be different upon completion of a successful Kickstarter campaign. What we were provided, however, is a good-looking, though muted, game board, a ton of cards, and some painted wooden tokens. The tokens are fine, and I am sure will look different once the game is finalized. The cards are good, an interesting dimension, and the art upon them is good and simple. In fact, the cardsâ art remind me of several computer icon sets, specifically Shadow or Sardi (though I use Sweet-Rainbow).
But how does it play? Okay, every time I get a new game I always play it solo multi-handed. During this initial play I had several questions for the designer about scenarios and other oddities that were not covered in the rulebook. He graciously, and immediately, answered my questions and the next play through ran quite smoothly. So I am sure the rulebook will be tweaked quite a bit before final production.
Once I was playing the right way the game ran smoothly and quickly. I found myself planning my turn in advance, however your success truly is dependent on the cards you draw. Ensemble cards are just the instruments, voices, and Minstrel (wild) cards, while the Palace cards are the rule-breaking fun cards. They allow increased travel, protection from certain cards in the deck, and other goodies I wonât spoil here. So having a nice collection of Palace cards can alleviate a lot of the random card draw issues that will plague players who refuse to grab the Palace cards. As I played more and more I found that I generally follow one strategy, but have to switch up tactics depending on my card draws. This is good and okay (not âbadâ). Going in with a plan of attack is great, and being able to become flexible mid-game is enjoyable.
Overall this one is surprising to me because I was initially frustrated with the vague rulebook, but once I truly knew the real rules and how everything played together I found a real fondness for it. Festival! will probably never make it close to my Top 10 Games of All Time list, but for larger groups who are tiring of the hidden traitor or social deduction games, this one is a breath of fresh air. It can handle up to seven players, and is an easier teach than many other games for mid-to-large groups.
So if you are looking for something different for a weird player count, and you need some more medieval rock star games in your collection please check out Festival!. (Do I need the period there or am I covered with the exclamation point from the title of the game? I was not an English major.) I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how this unassuming set collection game (with aspects of take-that which I did not explore here) will perform. I am looking forward to following the Kickstarter campaign set to launch in Spring 2021, so keep it on your radars, people.
Festival! is a competitive set collection game for larger groups, three to seven players. It is set in a medieval kingdom and the game lasts for four festivals. During the game players will be collecting sets of cards to be scored immediately and collecting other cards to be scored at the gameâs end.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, but give an idea of how the game plays. You are invited to download the rulebook, back the game through the forthcoming Kickstarter campaign, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, place the board in the middle of the table. Each player chooses a color of pawn to represent them and places one pawn on the 0 space upon the scoring track and the other pawn in the Festival! area upon the board. The game comes with four different types of cards and each type will be shuffled and placed face-down in stacks as in the photo below. Place the festival marker on either the 0 or 4 space (the rules are not clear, but it is to track the number of festivals, so just choose one) and give the first player busteeple to the youngest player. The game may now begin.
Festival! is played over several turns, but the first three turns will see players taking turns to travel to the different areas of the board and collect cards once they arrive. The initial Festival! area is located between the City and Village areas so a player can choose to move their pawn into either of those areas. As is printed on the board areas themselves, when players arrive in the Country they will immediately draw three Ensemble (green) cards to their hand and their turn is over. A trip to the Village affords the player two Ensemble cards to be drawn, while a visit to the City will allow a player to either draw one Ensemble card OR play as many cards from their hand as they choose. Finally, should the playerâs wanderlust urge them to the Palace, they may draw a Palace card to be played to their tableau immediately. Movement from one area to the next is always done to the adjacent area. So if in the Village a player may only move to either the Country or the City. If in the Country a player may only move to the Village.
As I mentioned, the first three turns are head start rounds where players are merely collecting cards to amass a hand (of limit 7) of cards that can be played in sets in their personal tableau. These cards are divided into Exotic, Percussion, Melodic, and Choir cards. Players may play as many cards as they like when in the City, but will score bonus set and superset points if they are able to lay down multiple unique cards in each group. For example, a Horn card is worth one VP alone, but with three other unique Melodic cards earns bonus points for the entire set.
After the first three turns have been played, the first player will then flip a Festival card (stacked on the game board) at the beginning of each turn. It is from this stack that the four âFestival!â cards are located, and they are the time trackers for the game. If the result is âPreparation,â the turns continue as normal with no change. However, should the flipped card be a âFestival!â face, then players within range of the Festival Stages may claim a stage and participate in the festival. Participation in the festival simply means that players may play cards as normally played in the City, but then are entitled to one of the drawn Finale cards. These cards are scored at the end of the game and typically award bonus points for various reasons.
Play continues in this fashion of traveling the board areas to collect cards, performing in festivals, and earning the most amount of VP at game end, which is immediately following the fourth festival. The player with the most VP is the winner!
Components. Again, this is a prototype copy of the game, so the components may be different upon completion of a successful Kickstarter campaign. What we were provided, however, is a good-looking, though muted, game board, a ton of cards, and some painted wooden tokens. The tokens are fine, and I am sure will look different once the game is finalized. The cards are good, an interesting dimension, and the art upon them is good and simple. In fact, the cardsâ art remind me of several computer icon sets, specifically Shadow or Sardi (though I use Sweet-Rainbow).
But how does it play? Okay, every time I get a new game I always play it solo multi-handed. During this initial play I had several questions for the designer about scenarios and other oddities that were not covered in the rulebook. He graciously, and immediately, answered my questions and the next play through ran quite smoothly. So I am sure the rulebook will be tweaked quite a bit before final production.
Once I was playing the right way the game ran smoothly and quickly. I found myself planning my turn in advance, however your success truly is dependent on the cards you draw. Ensemble cards are just the instruments, voices, and Minstrel (wild) cards, while the Palace cards are the rule-breaking fun cards. They allow increased travel, protection from certain cards in the deck, and other goodies I wonât spoil here. So having a nice collection of Palace cards can alleviate a lot of the random card draw issues that will plague players who refuse to grab the Palace cards. As I played more and more I found that I generally follow one strategy, but have to switch up tactics depending on my card draws. This is good and okay (not âbadâ). Going in with a plan of attack is great, and being able to become flexible mid-game is enjoyable.
Overall this one is surprising to me because I was initially frustrated with the vague rulebook, but once I truly knew the real rules and how everything played together I found a real fondness for it. Festival! will probably never make it close to my Top 10 Games of All Time list, but for larger groups who are tiring of the hidden traitor or social deduction games, this one is a breath of fresh air. It can handle up to seven players, and is an easier teach than many other games for mid-to-large groups.
So if you are looking for something different for a weird player count, and you need some more medieval rock star games in your collection please check out Festival!. (Do I need the period there or am I covered with the exclamation point from the title of the game? I was not an English major.) I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how this unassuming set collection game (with aspects of take-that which I did not explore here) will perform. I am looking forward to following the Kickstarter campaign set to launch in Spring 2021, so keep it on your radars, people.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Recreators in Books
Feb 3, 2020
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I went into reading this book partially blind. The blurb doesnât uncover much, and I was excited as to whether I would like it or not. The Recreators is a young-adult novel that happens in Medieval times and features characters who have God-like powers and are able to change a slight minimal portion of the world.
We follow three separate stories throughout this book:
<b><i>Filiaâs story</i></b>
A princess who has disappeared and comes back years later to claim her throne. A fierce woman who is a Recreator, but chooses to use the powers for her own benefit. In this story we can see how Filia develops as a character, changes while learning new things, makes sacrifices and answers some of the most asked social questions⊠A powerful story of growing up, and definitely my favourite one of all three.
<b><i>Vepresilaâs story</i></b>
She is chosen by the Goddess to serve her, but decides to take destiny in her own hands. This girl grew up with her family in a tribe with different moral and cultural values than what we know. Men and women donât sleep under the same roof, and boys have to pass tests to become men, otherwise, they are stuck and disrespected. When the girl is chosen to go to the Goddessâ temple and serve her, she realises that the system doesnât work, and tries to beat it. Finding her own destiny can prove to be a bouncy road, but she goes for it.
<b><i>Simmiolasâs story</i></b>
He is a Recreator and comes back to fixes a mistake he made in the past. While he travels, he settles with a circle of people, but they fail to believe he has powers and he doesnât seem able to change their views on how they see nature and the world. Taking a dear friend with him, he is set on a mission to do what is right, before it is too late.
<b><i>'âJust because things donât always go as planned, it doesnât always mean the outcome will be for the worse.ââ</i></b>
These three stories feature these three different characters, with a lot of characters surrounding them and supporting them. The three stories connect each other at a few points, some sooner, some later. They never fully connect though, which did bother me, as I was expecting a one big ending. The three stories remained separated, which made me think if it wouldâve been better to not connect them at all, or create three separate books for them.
<b><i> ââBut if all places have different ideas about whatâs right and wrong, how do we know what really is right and wrong?ââ</i></b>
Despite the story lines and the grammar errors I encountered, this book was truly amazing and I really enjoyed reading it. I loved the concept of the powers, loved the ethical lessons throughout the book, and I absolutely loved watching all of these characters grow in their own kind of way.
There were amazing scenes of what is wrong and right, what fear is and how to overcome it, how to keep going despite making mistakes in the past, and a lot of various life lessons worth reading. I recommend this book if this seems like the genre you might enjoy reading. It was the first book
I read by Desiree Nordlund and I canât wait to read more books written by her.
<b><i>ââThe best way to cure fear of the unknown is to admit what caused the fear and watch it until itâs no longer something strange.ââ</i></b>
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<img src="https://diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/New-blog-banner-24.png"/>;
I went into reading this book partially blind. The blurb doesnât uncover much, and I was excited as to whether I would like it or not. The Recreators is a young-adult novel that happens in Medieval times and features characters who have God-like powers and are able to change a slight minimal portion of the world.
We follow three separate stories throughout this book:
<b><i>Filiaâs story</i></b>
A princess who has disappeared and comes back years later to claim her throne. A fierce woman who is a Recreator, but chooses to use the powers for her own benefit. In this story we can see how Filia develops as a character, changes while learning new things, makes sacrifices and answers some of the most asked social questions⊠A powerful story of growing up, and definitely my favourite one of all three.
<b><i>Vepresilaâs story</i></b>
She is chosen by the Goddess to serve her, but decides to take destiny in her own hands. This girl grew up with her family in a tribe with different moral and cultural values than what we know. Men and women donât sleep under the same roof, and boys have to pass tests to become men, otherwise, they are stuck and disrespected. When the girl is chosen to go to the Goddessâ temple and serve her, she realises that the system doesnât work, and tries to beat it. Finding her own destiny can prove to be a bouncy road, but she goes for it.
<b><i>Simmiolasâs story</i></b>
He is a Recreator and comes back to fixes a mistake he made in the past. While he travels, he settles with a circle of people, but they fail to believe he has powers and he doesnât seem able to change their views on how they see nature and the world. Taking a dear friend with him, he is set on a mission to do what is right, before it is too late.
<b><i>'âJust because things donât always go as planned, it doesnât always mean the outcome will be for the worse.ââ</i></b>
These three stories feature these three different characters, with a lot of characters surrounding them and supporting them. The three stories connect each other at a few points, some sooner, some later. They never fully connect though, which did bother me, as I was expecting a one big ending. The three stories remained separated, which made me think if it wouldâve been better to not connect them at all, or create three separate books for them.
<b><i> ââBut if all places have different ideas about whatâs right and wrong, how do we know what really is right and wrong?ââ</i></b>
Despite the story lines and the grammar errors I encountered, this book was truly amazing and I really enjoyed reading it. I loved the concept of the powers, loved the ethical lessons throughout the book, and I absolutely loved watching all of these characters grow in their own kind of way.
There were amazing scenes of what is wrong and right, what fear is and how to overcome it, how to keep going despite making mistakes in the past, and a lot of various life lessons worth reading. I recommend this book if this seems like the genre you might enjoy reading. It was the first book
I read by Desiree Nordlund and I canât wait to read more books written by her.
<b><i>ââThe best way to cure fear of the unknown is to admit what caused the fear and watch it until itâs no longer something strange.ââ</i></b>
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Lottie disney bookworm (1056 KP) rated The Story of Silence in Books
Jun 17, 2021
An Arthurian tale, adapted from a 13th century lost poem, containing dragons and knights but tackling the fluid notion of gender? Sign me up! Literally! Thank you to Eidelweiss+ and HarperVoyager for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
Silence is born a girl, but due to the laws of inheritance is raised a boy, with only 3 people knowing their true gender (one of whom, initially, is not Silence). The Story of Silence follows Silence from birth, showing their struggles between Nature and Nurture in the medieval period.
The writing style of this fantasy novel is remarkable, with an almost lyrical, ballad quality to it. The settings of Cornwall, and later Brittany, are described in such a way that captivates the reader, transporting them to the jousting fields, the towering castles and the courts of Earls and Kings.
The writing is at a slower pace, a literary journey rather than a sprint and for that reason I didnât quite get the feeling of âI canât put this downâ, particularly in the middle of the novel. However, the twists and turns in Silenceâs life were always quick to pull me back in.
As a character, the reader loves Silence from the very beginning. None of the struggles of their life are of their own making. Indeed, there are moments within this story where it would have been much simpler to tell the truth but Silence does not, displaying true knightly qualities of courage and loyalty. If I had one criticism of this book it is that, after his first âcoursesâ, Silence doesnât seem to find disguising his Nature very difficult., Yes, he binds his chest but he also travels on the road with male companions for years with no further mention of the more natural signs of his true nature.
The cast of characters surrounding Silence are also excellent, we have the troubled Earl Cador who, despite his original plan, it seems cannot love his child as he should; Griselle and the seneschal who do love and care for Silence and then there is Merlin.
Now, I know Silence should be my favourite character but Merlin stole the show in my opinion! There is no stoical wizard in Myersâ world, oh no! Merlin is a naked, disgusting old man who has an awful habit of laughing out loud at the unseen futures of those he passes. I also appreciated how Merlin wasnât a solution to Silenceâs problems (in fact the opposite is true!). Despite the magical undercurrent within this story, Merlin doesnât fix everything with the flick of a magic wand â conversely he forces Silence to look inside and solve their own riddle, emphasising that you do not need to fit into one category or another, you can be both, you can be what you decide to be.
It should also be noted that, up to this point in the novel, Silence is referred to with the male pronoun, as that is how he sees himself. He is a boy. He is a knight! However, on processing Merlinâs world this pronoun notably changes to they and their. A beautiful detail that resonated how Silence had accepted their true identity.
The characterisation of women in The Story of Silence is something that has been picked up on a lot by my fellow reviewers and yes, the women in this book are often sex-crazed, deceitful, disloyal creatures. This is also an issue that is directly discussed within the authorâs note, further proving that this was not an intentional slight on women. Alex Myers is an author, they are telling a story and that story takes place in the 13th century when, unfortunately, women were depicted like this. The main despicable action by a woman is essential to stay true to the poem. Was it frustrating as a female reader? Sometimes. But are there an equal number of ugly characteristics shown in the male characters? Absolutely!
The Story of Silence is a slow-burning tale which steadily unfurls into a captivating narrative which will stay with the reader long after the final page. The original 13th century poem captures the concept of gender so beautifully but Alex Myers takes this even further, handling Silenceâs journey with love and compassion. I feel very lucky to have read this.
Silence is born a girl, but due to the laws of inheritance is raised a boy, with only 3 people knowing their true gender (one of whom, initially, is not Silence). The Story of Silence follows Silence from birth, showing their struggles between Nature and Nurture in the medieval period.
The writing style of this fantasy novel is remarkable, with an almost lyrical, ballad quality to it. The settings of Cornwall, and later Brittany, are described in such a way that captivates the reader, transporting them to the jousting fields, the towering castles and the courts of Earls and Kings.
The writing is at a slower pace, a literary journey rather than a sprint and for that reason I didnât quite get the feeling of âI canât put this downâ, particularly in the middle of the novel. However, the twists and turns in Silenceâs life were always quick to pull me back in.
As a character, the reader loves Silence from the very beginning. None of the struggles of their life are of their own making. Indeed, there are moments within this story where it would have been much simpler to tell the truth but Silence does not, displaying true knightly qualities of courage and loyalty. If I had one criticism of this book it is that, after his first âcoursesâ, Silence doesnât seem to find disguising his Nature very difficult., Yes, he binds his chest but he also travels on the road with male companions for years with no further mention of the more natural signs of his true nature.
The cast of characters surrounding Silence are also excellent, we have the troubled Earl Cador who, despite his original plan, it seems cannot love his child as he should; Griselle and the seneschal who do love and care for Silence and then there is Merlin.
Now, I know Silence should be my favourite character but Merlin stole the show in my opinion! There is no stoical wizard in Myersâ world, oh no! Merlin is a naked, disgusting old man who has an awful habit of laughing out loud at the unseen futures of those he passes. I also appreciated how Merlin wasnât a solution to Silenceâs problems (in fact the opposite is true!). Despite the magical undercurrent within this story, Merlin doesnât fix everything with the flick of a magic wand â conversely he forces Silence to look inside and solve their own riddle, emphasising that you do not need to fit into one category or another, you can be both, you can be what you decide to be.
It should also be noted that, up to this point in the novel, Silence is referred to with the male pronoun, as that is how he sees himself. He is a boy. He is a knight! However, on processing Merlinâs world this pronoun notably changes to they and their. A beautiful detail that resonated how Silence had accepted their true identity.
The characterisation of women in The Story of Silence is something that has been picked up on a lot by my fellow reviewers and yes, the women in this book are often sex-crazed, deceitful, disloyal creatures. This is also an issue that is directly discussed within the authorâs note, further proving that this was not an intentional slight on women. Alex Myers is an author, they are telling a story and that story takes place in the 13th century when, unfortunately, women were depicted like this. The main despicable action by a woman is essential to stay true to the poem. Was it frustrating as a female reader? Sometimes. But are there an equal number of ugly characteristics shown in the male characters? Absolutely!
The Story of Silence is a slow-burning tale which steadily unfurls into a captivating narrative which will stay with the reader long after the final page. The original 13th century poem captures the concept of gender so beautifully but Alex Myers takes this even further, handling Silenceâs journey with love and compassion. I feel very lucky to have read this.
Kara Skinner (332 KP) rated War Bride in Books
Sep 10, 2019
Genre: Medieval, Fantasy, Adult
Goodreads rating: 3.7 out of 5 stars
My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Iâm going to earn your trust, Emery Toustain, he thought as he released her hand. Perhaps, if you let me, Iâll earn more than that.
The first time I read War Bride was several months ago. It was so good I actually missed a call from my boss because I was so busy reading it. No, really. I didnât even âignoreâ the call. The fact that my phone was ringing didnât even register because I was so absorbed in the book. I ended up finishing it in less than a day.
I just finished it for the second time today, and itâs still incredible.
Emery Calliot kicks ass.
Emery will never be like other noble ladies. She always preferred wearing menâs clothing to dresses and learning archery to needlepoint. She has a tendency to ramble when sheâs nervous and she canât tame her hair for the life of her. But she had always wanted to marry eventually.
That is, until the night of King Rowanâs Treason, when she had been unspeakably hurt beyond repair. Now the idea of marriage makes her blood curdle.
But with the peace treaty between Dinasdale and Daleria shaky as it is, she doesnât have any choice but to marry Dinasdalian lord, Leofred Toustain, a man sheâs never met before, who looks terrifies her.
Yes, he was quite magnificent with skin like polished ebony and glittering eyes akin to chunks of onyx. Hawkish features were made more prominent by the absence of the beard most Dinasdalian men favored. His sharp jaw, slashing cheekbones, and arrogant nose made his hooded eyes darker and more mysterious. Leofred was beautiful in the way a panther might beânice to look upon from a distance, but quite frightening up close.
Leofred isnât looking forward to marriage any more than his bride-to-be is. He had always hoped marry for love, not someone had never met before. But he sees his new bride as a challenge, and heâs determined to break through her barriers and make her trust him.
âNonsense. Everyone is capable of love. Right now, you are not capable of physical intimacy, but that is only a small part of what love between a man and a woman is. For the nonce, I would be happy if you would let me become your husband in other ways. Let me be your confidant and your friend. Let me hold your hand when we walk, and tell you I think youâre beautiful every day. Let me prove to you just how capable of love you are, and when you are ready, I will show you how beautiful making love will be between us. Only when you are ready, Emery. Not before.â
Leofred is incredibly sexy, and completely perfect for Emery. Heâs gentle, nice, and very patient with her, which is exactly what she needs. They have a great story and the dialog between them is fantastic.
Before the wedding yesterday, I took the liberty of procuring a ladyâs maid for you. However, if you want, I will send her away.â
âNo, donât do that. Please, send her in. As you can see, I need the help.â
He smiled at her again. âNo, you donât.â
The only thing I didnât like was how he dealt with Caden at the beginning of the book. Caden knows what happened with Emery and wanted to warn Leofred to be patient with her. Leofred brushed him off and told him to mind his own business.
Later he blames Caden for his awkward and tense wedding night because Caden didnât tell him what was wrong with Emery.
Whatever (Caden) knew and would not speak about had ruined his wedding night.
This is a bit of a dick move on Leofredâs part. But this is honestly the only time that heâs not a perfect gentleman. And he never mistreats or disrespects Emery.
I love the Chained series, and War Bride did not disappoint. Itâs definitely worth the read.
Goodreads rating: 3.7 out of 5 stars
My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Iâm going to earn your trust, Emery Toustain, he thought as he released her hand. Perhaps, if you let me, Iâll earn more than that.
The first time I read War Bride was several months ago. It was so good I actually missed a call from my boss because I was so busy reading it. No, really. I didnât even âignoreâ the call. The fact that my phone was ringing didnât even register because I was so absorbed in the book. I ended up finishing it in less than a day.
I just finished it for the second time today, and itâs still incredible.
Emery Calliot kicks ass.
Emery will never be like other noble ladies. She always preferred wearing menâs clothing to dresses and learning archery to needlepoint. She has a tendency to ramble when sheâs nervous and she canât tame her hair for the life of her. But she had always wanted to marry eventually.
That is, until the night of King Rowanâs Treason, when she had been unspeakably hurt beyond repair. Now the idea of marriage makes her blood curdle.
But with the peace treaty between Dinasdale and Daleria shaky as it is, she doesnât have any choice but to marry Dinasdalian lord, Leofred Toustain, a man sheâs never met before, who looks terrifies her.
Yes, he was quite magnificent with skin like polished ebony and glittering eyes akin to chunks of onyx. Hawkish features were made more prominent by the absence of the beard most Dinasdalian men favored. His sharp jaw, slashing cheekbones, and arrogant nose made his hooded eyes darker and more mysterious. Leofred was beautiful in the way a panther might beânice to look upon from a distance, but quite frightening up close.
Leofred isnât looking forward to marriage any more than his bride-to-be is. He had always hoped marry for love, not someone had never met before. But he sees his new bride as a challenge, and heâs determined to break through her barriers and make her trust him.
âNonsense. Everyone is capable of love. Right now, you are not capable of physical intimacy, but that is only a small part of what love between a man and a woman is. For the nonce, I would be happy if you would let me become your husband in other ways. Let me be your confidant and your friend. Let me hold your hand when we walk, and tell you I think youâre beautiful every day. Let me prove to you just how capable of love you are, and when you are ready, I will show you how beautiful making love will be between us. Only when you are ready, Emery. Not before.â
Leofred is incredibly sexy, and completely perfect for Emery. Heâs gentle, nice, and very patient with her, which is exactly what she needs. They have a great story and the dialog between them is fantastic.
Before the wedding yesterday, I took the liberty of procuring a ladyâs maid for you. However, if you want, I will send her away.â
âNo, donât do that. Please, send her in. As you can see, I need the help.â
He smiled at her again. âNo, you donât.â
The only thing I didnât like was how he dealt with Caden at the beginning of the book. Caden knows what happened with Emery and wanted to warn Leofred to be patient with her. Leofred brushed him off and told him to mind his own business.
Later he blames Caden for his awkward and tense wedding night because Caden didnât tell him what was wrong with Emery.
Whatever (Caden) knew and would not speak about had ruined his wedding night.
This is a bit of a dick move on Leofredâs part. But this is honestly the only time that heâs not a perfect gentleman. And he never mistreats or disrespects Emery.
I love the Chained series, and War Bride did not disappoint. Itâs definitely worth the read.
Lee (2222 KP) Dec 13, 2019
Sarah (7799 KP) Dec 13, 2019