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The Inconvenient Pet is the fifth book in the Alien Slave Master series, and once again follows the non-con/dub-con route. If this isn't your thing, then don't read it, simple as that. If, however, you can cope with that, then you are in for a wonderful series that continues to surprise and surpass as you go along.

With the four previous books, you have had a 'human' slave boy, paired with a Travian Master. In this one, the roles are swapped. Wen, who we have met before, is the Travian slave boy, and Dax, who we've also met before, is the human Master - although he doesn't like being called that!

Wen doesn't really belong in the military, although he has fought hard to earn his place. Dax is with a group of humans and Travians, calling themselves Naturalists, who want to go back to a more primitive way of life, living in harmony with each other. Of course, there is a maggot in most apples, this one is named Burrell. Of course, you also meet new characters who shine. Chloe is one of those for me. She is a strong female, knowing her capabilities, and yet not afraid to ask for help when needed.

The story is fresh, the characters familiar, and it is all well-written, with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt the reading flow. Definitely recommended by me.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
My wife was the assistant manager of the little community shop in All Cannings (a small village in Wiltshire) and the author was a regular customer. When he couldn't get any interest in his story set around the village from a publisher he decided to publish it himself - and so we are the proud owners of a copy of this work. It doesn't feature any cover art - the book is simply white with the title writtien in black writing, something that is more effective and chilling than any picture could be.

Written for young adults, this tells the story of a group of friends who investigate the appearance of an 'angel' - a white mark on the hillside near their home, which intriguingly they are warned away from by some officials. The area is famous for its crop circles and soon it becomes clear there is a link between crop circles and secret military testing. Despite the danger the children pursue the truth.

The plot works well with the children (and the reader) wanting to find out more as each part of the conspiracy is uncovered and it is immensely readable. The children are likeable and the adults they encounter are by turns helpful and friendly or threatening and scary.

There are faults - the children sometimes act older than their ages and there is an event late in the book which is morally questionable. But overall this is a very sound and credible novel. It is such a shame that it was written a few years before eBooks took off, when it might have seen a much wider audience.
  
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Lindsay (1717 KP) rated The Lost Pulse in Books

Dec 19, 2019  
The Lost Pulse
The Lost Pulse
J.K. Kelly | 2019
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well, we are back with this time travel of a book. This one was a bit more less entertaining. It was still worth reading and receiving. We get back to traveling back in time. Only now we are mostly in the modern time.

If you are into terrorism what would you do if you could go back in time and stop maybe without changing history? We see what happens when something happens that happens to kill a member of the special team? Was it his fault? This make a decision seems to affect a member that not in the military when her brother is killed?

What happens to Michelle Jackson once her brother is killed? When JJ and the president cant not go back and save him? There seems to be a regret that JJ has? What is it?

We seem to follow Michelle a bit more and also end up in Italy for a few missions. What missions they do go on. Will they help or hurt their BOTM options? Will their be something of nature that the members to need to learn.

What happens to the pulses and if they can get more or not. The author does it once again with this book. What happens to JJ and his wife Michelle? The President seems more involved. What will happen with him? I will want to know how this continues. There are twists an turns though out the book. This is really good for science fiction fans and along with time travel fans. Are you into history, well this book take you on journey back in time as well.
  
This was an interesting story!

I love the cover of this book. It becomes more intriguing the longer I look at it. Summer Flash Burn is the second book in Erin Unger’s Worthington Agency series. The stories (so far) follow a group of friends in a detective agency, kind of reminds me of Charles Angels . I had not read the first book in the series before this one. I would definitely say this book can be read as a stand-alone, it does make reference to the first book but not in a way that makes you feel lost.

Based on the description I thought I knew what I was getting in to with this book. However, it took me on some unique twists and turns leading to an ending that was a good surprise. The main characters Christopher and Shauna deal with issues of self-worth, body image, grief, decision making, reliance on God… So many different emotions in this book. They all flow together quite seamlessly to make a good storyline. I loved Shauna’s military backround and her struggles with civilian life, they made her really come to life. I also liked how Christopher worked for the railroad! I have never met anyone who does that. The only thing I didn’t particularly care for was that the characters seemed to be overdramatized in their reactions to the things that happen. Otherwise, it was a fun read and I will definitely be going back to read the first book in the series. Thank you, Erin Unger, for being another new to me author .
  
Jarhead (2005)
Jarhead (2005)
2005 | Drama
𝘉𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥. At least 90% surface-level and even more largely reductive - of course it is - but it's also totally incompetent. A 2+ hour torture session slog through a barren wasteland visually (Deakins of course shoots the living hell out of it, so there's some damn fine imagery every now and again but Jesus Christ could we do more than two fucking [mawkish and over-obviously symbolized] colors for this whole thing?) but moreso narratively, where this has absolutely nothing to say. You'd think this intentionally dances right around any sort of gift-wrapped commentary about the Gulf War, toxic masculinity, the late 1980s, the American military for young men, or literally anything at all with how dead and non-thematic this awkward crawl is. It can't even be bothered in exploring its own characters lives, I kept forgetting who these people even were - the movie clearly didn't care about them so why should I? Also has the same problem most of these one-dimensional, pandering, tedious war flicks have where it rushes right through the supposed pivotal moment all of this arduous buildup was clearly meant for when they all return home and it's only like 5 minutes of soap opera-level crap and a cheesy 'mic drop' finisher. At its best when it gets weird and Sam Mendes-y, and I can't say it's without solid moments of haunt - plus Gyllenhaal, Sarsgaard, and Foxx keep it marginally more tolerable - but even if it *could* handle its tone (spoiler alert, it can't) this still plays like it was made by complete idiots who only cared about this being would-be Oscar bait.
  
American Assassin (2017)
American Assassin (2017)
2017 | Action, Thriller
Traumatic events affect people differently. Some avoid anything that resembles that moment or triggers memories of it. Others are impacted so deeply that they must take action. American Assassin, based on the Vince Flynn books, features Dylan O’Brien (Maze Runner) as Mitch Rapp who wants to avenge the killing of his girlfriend in a terrorist attack. Upon his attempt to track down the men responsible, he is recruited by the CIA to help them track down the perpetrator of several attacks on civilian and military targets.

The film is ambitious in its approach to entering the realm of spy thrillers. There is no real depth to the film or moments that make the audience truly invested in the characters onscreen. At times, the story feels rushed, repetitive, and confusing. The actions scenes, however, are engrossing and give the audience the sense of chaos that would be felt if they were a part of it. The most interesting aspect of the film is not the story, but Michael Keaton’s portrayal of Stan Hurley, who leads Rapp on their international quest to find a rogue agent and prevent a nuclear detonation. Keaton’s character seems to be a combination of some of his more iconic roles allowing for much more depth, connection to be made between him and the other characters, despite the lack of chemistry between them collectively.

American Assassin is a good action film for those looking for an escape in the theaters, but for those looking for something that will rival any of the Bourne films, or the James Bond series, they are going to be sorely disappointed.
  
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Kindle
Death be Rising ( Terra Vane book 7)
By Katie Evers ( Katie Epstein)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶

Zombies. Freaking zombies.

Terra knew an apocalypse would hit her one day. Throw in the nightmare of the walking dead and she’s ready to run for the hills. But that wouldn’t be professional. Not when the haunting zombies are the work of a powerful mage who has escaped to Earthside and taken an abandoned mall hostage.

With no choice but to work alongside the US military, Terra and the gang have to hide their gifts and act like the humans. Grady is tactical. He can lead them in. But the closer they get, the more dangerous it becomes trying to keep their secret. So dangerous, it might get them all killed. Or eaten.


I absolutely love this series! This is the 8th book and we are getting to see the big guns when it comes to Terra finding all the escapees from a supernatural prison. This had zombies so that right there is a win for me! Now if I’m going to be super picky over 2 things that stress me out with this book 1. Is whoever proof read this didn’t do the best of jobs there are little bits of grammar and mistakes through most of the book and yes I’m being super picky but I don’t know about anyone else but it stalls the reading and knocks me off a little. 2. Is I can never find the author due to all the name changes 😂! Other than that the book and series are just really really good!
Oh and hallelujah Kane finally gives in!!!!!!
  
Angel Has Fallen (2019)
Angel Has Fallen (2019)
2019 | Action, Drama, Thriller
Verdict: Franchise Hasn’t Fallen

Story: Angel Has Fallen starts when Mike banning (Butler) is the only survivor of a drone attack on President Allan Trumbull (Freeman), the rest of the team are killed and Mike has been framed for the assassination attempt. FBI agent Helen Thompson (Smith) is investigating the case, with Mike looking cut and dry to have been the man behind it, but when Mike escapes, he sets out to prove his innocence.

Mike turns to his estranged father Clay (Nolte) as he looks to discover why his old friend an private contractor Wade Jennings (Huston) has set him up and how he can prove his isn’t involved despite a nationwide manhunt for him.

Thoughts on Angel Has Fallen

Characters – Mike Banning is still a senior secret service man, playing righthand to the President, he has been keeping his injuries secret, which is nice to see an action man actually suffering injuries, instead of just being fine, like most action stars. He does his duty saving the President from an attack, only to find himself framed. When the people come to finish the job on Banning, he escapes and uses all his training to allude and search for a way to prove his innocence. Allan Trumbull is now the President, stepping up from his role as the Vice in the previous two outings, he is looking to change certain ideas, though he spends most of his film in a coma after the attack, he is the only other witness who could defend Mike’s involvement too. Wade Jennings is the private military contractor and old military buddy of Mike’s, he has framed him and is using his expertly trained team to hunt him down and finish off the job. Leah is the wife of Mike’s she is trying to keep him from working now they have a child and must deal with the consequences of seeing the name dragged through the dirt. FBI Agent Helen Thompson is trying to put the pieces together, seeing Mike as the prime suspect, she just wants the case closed without anybody else being hurt. Clay Banning is the estranged father of Mike’s he has been off the grid for years because of his own trauma from his time in the war, he is the only person Mike knows he can turn too.

Performances – Gerard Butler is great in the leading role, he is always going to be a bankable star when it comes to action roles and this is no different. Morgan Freeman does everything you would expect from a President role, without needing to do much. Piper Perabo takes over from Radha Mitchell in the wife role, which doesn’t have much to do if we are being honest. Danny Huston is one of these actors that you know is always going to be a villain, he does everything we know he can do in this role. Nick Nolte is a lot of fun, bringing his trademark estranged father role to the big screen once again, he gets a few laughs in too.

Story – The story here sees Mike Banning being framed for the assassination attempt of the President, the figure that he has been guarding for years and he must go off the grid to prove who was really behind it. The story is one that is great to watch for action, but if you have seen the previous instalments of the franchise, you will be left asking a few questions. First what happened to President Benjamin Asher, we have zero mention of him, secondly, how is nobody on Mike’s side after all he has done in the past, like seriously, he pretty much saved the President against impossible odds twice. While this question could be answered with the number of pieces of evidence placed on him, it still doesn’t seem to fit the character these people have created. Away from these questions, we must say this does build on the scale of the previous film’s stories, which is good because it does feel different, which each film does do. We could easily watch this story as a single film too and the fact that we do touch on the physical injuries that Mike has suffered through his job, does show a vulnerable action character.

Action – The action is big, we might not have the large scale opening attack, but once we get into the military formations ideas, we get plenty of tactical shootings.

Settings – The film does build on the settings, with the first one being one building, the second being one city, now we have a nationwide hunt.

Special Effects – The effects, well this has been an issue for the franchise all along, but the green screen scenes are so clear to see it almost feels like they didn’t finish the job yet.


Scene of the Movie – Mike and Clay have an escape plan.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – No mention of former President Benjamin Asher, like what happened here?

Final Thoughts – This is a action sequel that does enough different to make it feel fresh even if certain parts of the story feels too farfetched, it does continue to have a 24 vibe to everything, but it is well for a watch if you have seen the franchise or not.

Overall: Trilogy that hasn’t Fallen.
  
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Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Serial in Podcasts

Jan 4, 2018 (Updated Jan 4, 2018)  
Serial
Serial
News & Politics
8
8.5 (42 Ratings)
Podcast Rating
Gripping first series, second underwhelming
Serial is one of those high-trending true crime phenomena, gripping a nation similar to the likes of @Making A Murderer - Season 1. The first series follows the murder case of a young student Hae Min Lee, allegedly killed by her former boyfriend Adnan Syed and the apparent failings in the investigation. Is he guilty or innocent? Journalist Sarah Koenig tries to retrace the steps of both Adnan and other suspects to get to the bottom of this disturbing story in 12 episodes.

The first series is well-made, each episode carefully crafted to leave you on a cliffhanger. It is easy to binge-listen, but like MAM, there are parts that have been omitted from the case, so not all is what it actually seems. Either way, I fell for it hook, line and sinker.

The second series, unfortunately, is an entirely different ballgame. Unlike its true crime predecessor, Koenig looks at the infamous case of Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, a US soldier who allegedly defected and was subsequently captured by Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan. The series focuses on his perception and experiences, and eventual vilification, as his release caused much political controversy over whether a deal should have been negotiated or not. The price of his freedom was an exchange for five Taliban-linked inmates held at maximum security prison Guantanamo Bay. The reason he says, for his defection, was that he attempted to become a whistleblower for the apparently mismanaged unit he belonged to.

Sadly, as with most popular media, the change in direction with the podcast came at a price, as many felt the subject was too dry and too heavy. With dense military language, it seem to become too bogged down with the details, losing its edge.

It's not a perfect podcast, but the first series is still worth the listen.
  
The Revenant (2015)
The Revenant (2015)
2015 | Adventure, Drama, Thriller
DeCaprio's performance, Lubezki Cinematogrophy (0 more)
Fantastic Cinematic Experience
Films are works of art, pieces not to be taken for granted, unless they are ones that want to be taken for granted. There is a new term for the word masterpiece…Revenant!!

Unbelievable, breath taking, exhilarating, these descriptions are not enough to describe this wonderful movie.

When left for dead by the rest of his military group, Hugh Glass (DiCaprio) must look death in the face and battle great woodlands to seek vengeance on the one who betrayed him. DiCaprio is mind blowing in his performance that looks so convincing, you’ll believe he actually went through it. You do not recognize this man at all in his performance, there is no sign of Belfort, Jack Dawson, or Cobb, DiCaprio shows us a completely new person, you won’t believe he is even an actor.

FWI I am being deadly serious here, not joking at all.

One of the most unique parts of the film, is the use in cinematography, the most effective, and beautiful use I have ever seen. So huge hats off to Emmanuel Lubezki. It pulls you in to the film, and you completely feel the rush of the film through your body.

Alejandro González Iñárritu has pulled of another remarkable, and stunning piece of cinema, that will take you to a whole new world of film. It may be long, but every moment pulls you closer.

This truly is the most amazing, beautiful, and unbelievable film I have ever seen, and is now close to becoming the best. It’s a whole new experience and must be viewed in cinemas. It’s a complete 10/10, and must be viewed by all film fans.