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The Avengers - Season 5
The Avengers - Season 5
1967 | Comedy, Fantasy, Thriller
The Avengers' fifth season opens with a fabricated alien invasion and concludes with a shrink-gun, and while the odd more serious and down-to-earth episode sneaks in, this sort of sums up the scope of the series at this point: a mixture of B-movie sci-fi, extravagant whimsy, and knowing wit. As in the previous year, dapper security operative John Steed is assisted in his investigations by Mrs Emma Peel.

However, not quite up to the standard of the previous year - the show now seems pitched towards the American networks, hence the move to rather garish colour, and it's often much more knockabout as a result. The fact that most of the episodes are written by either Philip Levene or Brian Clemens also results in a certain reliance on formula - the show even resorts to remaking some of the earlier videotaped stories to avoid having to come up with brand new scripts. However, episodes like The Hidden Tiger and Epic still stand up as well as anything in the run of the series.
  
Two Roads (Gypsy Brothers, #6)
Two Roads (Gypsy Brothers, #6)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
3.5 stars, again.

This series started out as a guilty pleasure, I shouldn't have liked it for what it was about but I couldn't help it. I was completely dragged in and as the plotline has progressed so have the characters.

Julz used to be ruthless but was broken in the last book and has become more emotional(It's unusual after getting used to her in the previous books).

Jase...well I've always loved Jase. He's always come across as a nice guy and different to the rest of his family.

In this, they came together at last and I really liked them together, the times when they were happy. BUT not everything goes as planned and in the way the author has, she's left it on a bit of a cliff-hanger. I really need to read [b:One Love|22736757|One Love (Gypsy Brothers, #7)|Lili St. Germain|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405611736s/22736757.jpg|42275650] to see how everything is going to work out in the last book of the series.
  
Balance (Matefinder #3)
Balance (Matefinder #3)
Leia Stone | 2016 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
136 of 250
Kindle
Balance ( Matefinder book 3)
By Leia Stone

Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments

Ever since Kai revealed the supernatural race to the humans, riots and chaos have reigned down on Mount Hood. Aurora is going crazy just sitting around and waiting for Layla to show up so that Aurora can finish her task and kill her, bringing peace to her pack. Kai does everything in his power to keep Aurora safe and confined on the heavily guarded mountain. But he should know that no one can really keep Aurora from the things she wants in life. She is determined to find Layla and end this war, forever. But at what cost?


I have enjoyed this series so much! The last book did not disappoint it was full of emotion and strong women! I love the was Leia writes here supernaturals they are just so refreshing. Can’t wait to be reading more from the spin off series excited to see what the next Generation brings!
  
After That Night
After That Night
Karin Slaughter | 2023 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Another gripping read to add to the Will Trent/ Dr. Sara Linton series.
Sara is determined to get justice for a patient who dies in A&E on her shift. With her dying breath, Dani Cooper tells Sara she has been raped. Three years later, Sara is testifying as an expert witness at the trial of Tommy McAllister - the man accused of raping Dani, and the child of a couple who Sara knew from her residency days.

Will and his partner Faith, end up re-investigating Sara’s case, along with a number of others, finding links between them. All of this is done without their boss’s knowledge - which is very brave of them. She’s formidable!

There are graphic descriptions of rape, domestic violence and it’s aftermath, and can be quite stomach churning at times - but it’s such a fast-moving read with such excellent characters, that I didn’t want to put it down. It’s a really emotional read, too.

If you’re a fan of this series, you will not be disappointed!
  
Murder in the Wine Country
Murder in the Wine Country
Janet Finsilver | 2020 | Mystery
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Too Much Going on
Kelly’s boss is bringing in others to get a vision of what he’s accomplished in Redwood Cove in the hopes of replicating it around the country. Part of this is a wine tasting, and Eric is supposed to be assisting with it. However, not too long after Kelly meets him, Eric turns up dead. Could it have to do with the poachers in the area looking for a rare and expensive plant?

This teaser doesn’t even mention a storyline that starts part way into the book and really takes over. I get why it does, but it makes the resulting story feel way more rushed than it should have been. There was enough here for two books. Plus, there’s a sub-plot that is resolved way too easily (and unrealistically). But, as always, I loved the characters and watching their relationships grow. I was smiling as I read about them. Likewise, I enjoyed revisiting the setting. If you are new to the series, don’t start here. Fans will enjoy it even if it is the weakest in the series.
  
Love Will Tear Us Apart
Love Will Tear Us Apart
C. K. McDonnell | 2023 | Horror, Humor & Comedy, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I try to avoid book series like the plague (commitment issues). But here we are, and I’d like to start The Stranger Times Addiction Club. I listened to Love Will Tear Us Apart on audiobook, and the narrator Brendan McDonald has made me realise that I’ll probably need to buy all subsequent Stranger Times instalments on audiobook as well (except for the next one - I’ve already read that on NetGalley. Review to follow 🫢). Brendan, you are superb!

Bancroft thinks his wife is still alive and he’s acting very strangely; Hannah (assistant editor) has not only had the cheek to resign, but she’s gone to a spa as well; and an ex-columnist (who never strictly existed) has disappeared. Sounds confusing? Well, that’s The Stranger Times for you!

God, I enjoyed this - these books are always so uplifting (like some of the staff!), and I laughed so much. Which is ideal on your dog walk…

This is a series that I really don’t mind being caught up in at all. Just fabulous!
  
Love, Death & Robots
Love, Death & Robots
2019 | Action, Animation, Comedy
Unique And Visceral Experience
Love, Death, & Robots is an adult animated anthology tv series on Netflix. The series is produced by Joshua Donen, David Fincher, Jennifer Miller, and Tim Miller. Each of the 18 episodes released on the first season was animated by different crews from a range of countries. It's also a re-imagining of 1981 animated sci-fi film Heavy Metal. Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Topher Grace, Gary Cole, Samira Wiley, and Stefan Kapicic.


Produced by different casts and crews, and consisting of 18 stand-alone episodes, each under 20 minutes, the title of the series refers to the recurring themes of love, death, and robots in each episode. Full of terrifying creatures, wicked surprises and dark comedy, it's a collection of animated short stories spanning several genres like horror, comedy, fantasy, and science fiction. Captivating stories come to life with world-class animation in a plethora of tales unlike anything else.


This series was wicked awesome. Reminded me of some of the other animated anthologies I've seen such as The Animatrix and Batman: Gotham Knight, except quite a bit more NSFW. This series also gave me a Twilight Zone vibe but bit darker. More blood and guts and highly sexual. Even though it's pretty graphic, I really liked a lot of the stories they told and the twists that most had in the end as well. Some are kind of hit or miss or just better than others but I think that there is definitely something for everyone despite the gore and nudity and language. I especially enjoyed the following episodes, 1. Sonnie's Edge, 8. Good Hunting, 10. Shape-Shifters, 13. Lucky 13, and 18. Secret War. The way they went about the story telling and world building in each episode was phenomenal. I really feel that some of these episodes deserve their own individual films or series to do them better justice. I mean some were just so good and less than 20 minutes felt like not enough or that they could have been even better. I give the entire series overall a 9/10.
  
Royals
Royals
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Delightful romance.
So I’ll admit. The only reason I picked this book up is because the second book in the series, Her Royal Highness, looks like an adorable lesbian romance and I thought I should start at the beginning of the series. I’m glad I did, because Royals is a delight. Daisy is a spirited, no-nonsense teenager who doesn’t get the appeal of all this “royal” stuff, and she’s not one to mince words for the sake of appearances. As you can imagine, that ruffles a LOT of royal feathers! Add in a posse of noble ne’er-do-wells trying to get in trouble, and you’re in for some fun.

Interestingly, I’m torn now on whether to read the second book! Rachel Hawkins is a fantastic writer, so I have no doubt she’ll write a great second book, but the love interest in the next book, Princess Flora, did not make a great impression on me in this book. I was glad she only made a short appearance. It doesn’t sound like the next book is told from her point of view, though, so maybe it will be okay. The series definitely has a lot of potential, as there’s still several members of the Prince’s posse to tell stories about!

I do enjoy a good royal romance, and these are interesting in that they’re contemporary, so the royals are concerned with their reputation, and treated like massive celebrities, but have lost a lot of their intimidation factor and power when it comes to normal people. Daisy sees it more as an inconvenience than anything else, it seems.

One content warning – there was a scene with an unasked-for kiss that could have been called sexual assault if Daisy had been less charitable about it. It wasn’t malicious. But it was questionable. So beware if that’s something you want to avoid.
  
Izombie: Volume 1: Dead to the World
Izombie: Volume 1: Dead to the World
Chris Roberson, Mike Allred | 2011 | Comics & Graphic Novels
6
8.0 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
I read this because I enjoy the show, but other than the crime solving and brain eating induced images, the two have next to nothing in common. That's not to say that the comic isn't any good, just not quite what I expected.

The comic is set in a small town where Gwendolyn "Gwen" Dylan, the main character (not Olivia "Liv" Moore), has an antiquated job, that makes no sense in this day and age. As if that wasn't different enough, I was certainly surprised by the presence of so many other supernatural creatures (ghosts, were-terriers {not to be confused with werewolves}, and vampires). Although, the explanation of the different types of supernaturals was well thought out and plausible, as plausible as the existence of supernaturals can be.

For all of it's differences, I must say that the resemblance between Gwen and the actress playing Olivia on the show, is spot on. This is really the only thing that kept grounding me to the fact that the two were related as I read.

I think that the biggest hurdle will be the lack of some of my favorite characters from the show, like Ravi and Major. I 'm thinking that Major might have been loosely, and I mean VERY loosely, based on Horatio, but I really hope not and that he (or someone a lot closer to his character) shows up later in the series.

With all of that being said, I will continue to read and hope I can further dissociate the two in order to enjoy the comic more, as it has potential as a very different type of zombie story.