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Ross (3284 KP) rated The War of the Dwarves in Books
Feb 20, 2018
The follow-up to the first Dwarves book sees the dwarves again join forces with the humans and now join forces with their age old enemies the elves to battle against a new source of evil.
There is a lot packed into this book with a number of stand-offs against the evil thirdling dwarves, the evil elves and an invading force from the Outer Lands.
For me at times it felt like the story was being made up on the spot with the overarching plot changing a number of times to suit the author's mood. At one point the feared enemy in the West was just a hoax by the thirdlings then it was real etc etc. There were still some good action scenes but these were in the minority here as so much of the book was taken up with politics and intrigue.
Something of a comedown from the first in the series.
There is a lot packed into this book with a number of stand-offs against the evil thirdling dwarves, the evil elves and an invading force from the Outer Lands.
For me at times it felt like the story was being made up on the spot with the overarching plot changing a number of times to suit the author's mood. At one point the feared enemy in the West was just a hoax by the thirdlings then it was real etc etc. There were still some good action scenes but these were in the minority here as so much of the book was taken up with politics and intrigue.
Something of a comedown from the first in the series.
ClareR (6001 KP) rated The City of Brass: Daevabad Trilogy in Books
May 29, 2018
Djinn-tastic!! (OK, I know that's bad)
Wow! Magic, Djinns, Ifrits, Daevas - what's not to like?! This was such an engrossing read. Set from two points of view: Nahri, a poor orphaned healer and con-artist and Ali, the youngest son of the King of Daevabad. Their lives meet and are entwined in such a way as to be completely believable. The politics of the realm are much like apartheid, in that Shafit cannot mix with full-blooded Daevas or Djinn. They live in substandard conditions, and Ali tries to change that. He unwittingly causes huge problems.
This is the first in a trilogy, so my only complaint would be that I've now read the first one so close to the release date, that I'm now going to have to wait for AGES for the next part!! Bad planning on my part! I think I'd be more than happy to reread this before the second in the trilogy releases though.
This is the first in a trilogy, so my only complaint would be that I've now read the first one so close to the release date, that I'm now going to have to wait for AGES for the next part!! Bad planning on my part! I think I'd be more than happy to reread this before the second in the trilogy releases though.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Mary Queen of Scots (2018) in Movies
Jan 23, 2019 (Updated Jan 23, 2019)
There's Something About Mary
Yet another crack at the famous life-story of Mary Stuart. It's all a bit complicated and has to do with religious conflict and dynastic succession; if I understood it better I could probably get higher scores on Crusader Kings 2. This is a period of history that everyone sort-of knows a bit about without really understanding the details, and it would have been great if the film had really got to the heart of the politics and personalities involved, but instead the director seems more interested in giving the story more of a modern resonance than it really requires.
Still, good frocks, and many incidental pleasures to be found, especially amongst the supporting performances. Saoirse Ronan doesn't quite dominate the film as you might imagine; Margot Robbie is at least as impressive in a rather smaller part. In the end it's kind of okay if you just like costume dramas, but it doesn't really bring the story to life.
Still, good frocks, and many incidental pleasures to be found, especially amongst the supporting performances. Saoirse Ronan doesn't quite dominate the film as you might imagine; Margot Robbie is at least as impressive in a rather smaller part. In the end it's kind of okay if you just like costume dramas, but it doesn't really bring the story to life.
Kate (493 KP) rated A New Prospect in Books
Nov 4, 2019
I liked the story line but it didn't keep me hooked like most murder mystery's do. Maybe because the investigating wasn't normal detective investigating. I understand this was the story line though. I liked the first few chapters then it lost me a bit.
It went into politics and I didn't like that as I don't like political story lines and how political powers sway things in books.
The author brought the characters to life by writing the way they spoke - this really ruined the book for me as I found it very hard to read. For some readers this may really bring the book together.
I feel the intended audience for this book are male aged 45 - 60. I didn't feel like a book for females. I wasn't sure how about some of the comments the main character made about the women in the book...he certainly likes the ladies.
I feel I was more hooked by the blurb than the book.
It went into politics and I didn't like that as I don't like political story lines and how political powers sway things in books.
The author brought the characters to life by writing the way they spoke - this really ruined the book for me as I found it very hard to read. For some readers this may really bring the book together.
I feel the intended audience for this book are male aged 45 - 60. I didn't feel like a book for females. I wasn't sure how about some of the comments the main character made about the women in the book...he certainly likes the ladies.
I feel I was more hooked by the blurb than the book.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Cat People (1942) in Movies
Jan 6, 2020 (Updated Jan 6, 2020)
Moody and suggestive noir-ish horror melodrama perhaps shows that you can leave too much to the imagination. Serbian immigrant falls for preppy boat designer and marries him; the trouble is that she believes she will turn into a panther and rip him apart if he even kisses her. (No marriage will prosper in these circumstances.)
Very much of its period, especially in its gender politics - both of the main male characters are eminently punchable, to say the least - with a slightly awkward subtext about feminine emotions and desire. The plot is perhaps a bit too linear as well. However, it is very well directed, with a couple of sequences that invariably turn up in 'history of horror' documentaries as establishing genre tropes. It's still a slightly eggy melodrama where you don't really see the monster, so unlikely to be satisfying for many modern fans of the genre. It has still worn better than many other horror films from the 30s and 40s.
Very much of its period, especially in its gender politics - both of the main male characters are eminently punchable, to say the least - with a slightly awkward subtext about feminine emotions and desire. The plot is perhaps a bit too linear as well. However, it is very well directed, with a couple of sequences that invariably turn up in 'history of horror' documentaries as establishing genre tropes. It's still a slightly eggy melodrama where you don't really see the monster, so unlikely to be satisfying for many modern fans of the genre. It has still worn better than many other horror films from the 30s and 40s.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Stone Tape in TV
Feb 22, 2020
Acclaimed ghost story for TV looks slightly dated now but is still likely to put the wind up the unwary. Scientists investigating a haunted house jump to one conclusion too many. Ghostwatch's only serious rival for the title of spookiest thing ever made on videotape, The Stone Tape is notable for the way in which it manages to combine a genuine science-fiction approach with proper supernatural horror: the characters think they've managed to come up with a testable rationale for residual hauntings, but their inability to fully work out how the 'stone tape' operates leads to a climax quite unlike anything else in TV horror. Interesting subtext about gender politics in the workplace, too.
It is nearly fifty years old, made using quite primitive TV technology, quite talky, etc, etc, all of which probably counts against it for modern audiences. But it is interesting to look back to a time when British TV networks made horror for the brain.
It is nearly fifty years old, made using quite primitive TV technology, quite talky, etc, etc, all of which probably counts against it for modern audiences. But it is interesting to look back to a time when British TV networks made horror for the brain.
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