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Amy Christmas (170 KP) rated The Cruel Prince in Books
Dec 24, 2017 (Updated Dec 24, 2017)
Expansive and immersive world (3 more)
Doesn't constantly focus on love
Lies, deceit and betrayal
MC is human
Use of clichés for quick character building (2 more)
Abrupt climax
Unfulfilling ending
Can't wait for more
I received this for free for an honest review.
In The Cruel Prince we follow Jude a human in a fearie world along with her twin sister Taryn and her fearie sister Vivienne. Vivo is the son of the high kings general Madoc who had Vivi stolen from him by his ex-wife who he murdered in front of them.
Jude has grown up in this fearie world and has adapted to it's customs and seeks favour among one of the royal family courts by way of a knighthood. All in an effort to amass power to protect herself from people like Prince Cardan who bully and attack her.
We watch Jude struggle as she goes way in over her head and may be a little to bold and blunt when it comes to standing up to royalty and in some cases bending a knee to it.
I loved this book, there were times it had me grinding my teeth and sitting there talking to myself asking questions and complaining about people dying.
However I have to take marks away for Blacks use of clichés with some of the characters like Cardan and his cruel group for a quick character build. I understand that sometimes clichés are needed but Black could have made the characters more unique in their backstories.
The story is a good first book in a new series as it builds the world well and how the politics work. I do feel as though the climax was too short and could have been expanded on in an extra chapter as things seemed a little too rushed. The epilogue as well left me feeling a little underwhelmed after reading the last chapter, which left me wanting more.
Overall a good read if you enjoy YA fantasy, I've read better, but it's still good and I will be following up on this series.
In The Cruel Prince we follow Jude a human in a fearie world along with her twin sister Taryn and her fearie sister Vivienne. Vivo is the son of the high kings general Madoc who had Vivi stolen from him by his ex-wife who he murdered in front of them.
Jude has grown up in this fearie world and has adapted to it's customs and seeks favour among one of the royal family courts by way of a knighthood. All in an effort to amass power to protect herself from people like Prince Cardan who bully and attack her.
We watch Jude struggle as she goes way in over her head and may be a little to bold and blunt when it comes to standing up to royalty and in some cases bending a knee to it.
I loved this book, there were times it had me grinding my teeth and sitting there talking to myself asking questions and complaining about people dying.
However I have to take marks away for Blacks use of clichés with some of the characters like Cardan and his cruel group for a quick character build. I understand that sometimes clichés are needed but Black could have made the characters more unique in their backstories.
The story is a good first book in a new series as it builds the world well and how the politics work. I do feel as though the climax was too short and could have been expanded on in an extra chapter as things seemed a little too rushed. The epilogue as well left me feeling a little underwhelmed after reading the last chapter, which left me wanting more.
Overall a good read if you enjoy YA fantasy, I've read better, but it's still good and I will be following up on this series.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Widows (2018) in Movies
May 13, 2019
Perfection
#widows is this years biggest surprise. Just like a punch to the gut its full of #pain, suffering an overload of #emotion & shock. My goodness what an exceptional & #stunning piece of work this is. As soon as the film opened is was hanging off my seat, with an opening which not only sets the stage for what's to come but showcases just how talented #stevemcqueen is as a director. This calm before the storm style of directing works so well that it constantly lulls you into a false sense of security (by using #beautiful/unique camera work, a powerful score, subbtle #humour, interesting characters & deep character connections) to pull you in which are then followed instantly by incredibly tense action or scenes of #brutal #violence or shocking emotional breakdowns which hit you hard like a slap across the face. Long but never once #boring this is such a heavy, bleak & #depressing film not only about grief, loss, #broken trust & #survival but also about #racism, corruption, power abuse & the using of money & #religion as a control tool. I dont want to spoil to much because its best to go in blind here to feel the full impact of the #film & its twists. #Widowsmovie is so powerful & full of so much depth I felt like id been hit by a train walking out. Everything flows together so perfectly here from its pacing to its plot & its cinematography right down to its sound & set design. Theres also stellar acting all across the board here & i mean seriously impressive preformances by a good chunk of the cast which makes sure each & every characters pain, grief & struggle through #life is felt deeply, making it at times increadibly #heartbreaking & tuff to watch. This film overall was such an engaging/draining & absorbing thrill ride full of intelligent & current themes that I cant wait to see it again & delve deeper into its layers. Absolutely mind blowing & one of the most tense & well constructed #heist films ive seen in a long long time. #odeon #odeonlimitless #filmbuff #filmcritic #thursdaythoughts #violadavis #collinfarrell #liamnesson #danielkaluuya #love
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated 1917 (2020) in Movies
Jan 11, 2020
Poor Wayfaring Stranger
1917 is magnificently filmed, teeth clenchingly tense and emotionaly draining from start to finish. A journey film of a two men but unlike any war film thats come before it both visual wise and in regards to story telling. More about the trek, land and character progression rather than focusing on gun fights and combat 1917 gains your complete attention and focus right away from its gorgeous opening. What follows is a series of about 7 seemingly one take expertly designed and pulled off tracking shots which are simply breathtaking to whitness. These shots are a joy to experience and not only seem seamlessly tied together but ensure we never lose sight of our heros helping us to really feel like we are beside them as they face numerous obstacles/perils on this tough expedition. Theres alot of tree/growth metaphors here which makes sense since the two lads start off as mere boys given a mission so seemingly impossible that death seens inevitable forcing them to grow up, learn and mature into men if they want to even survive. Sets are fantastic each one is magnificently vast/epicly sprawling and these wastelands are littered with debris/bodies depicting the aftermath of previous skirmishes and desruction. Its actually insane the amount of storytelling/detail going on constantly in the surroundings and the way this helps give extra weight to the world and over all story is staggering as well as visually breathtaking/impactful. See terrain is just as much an enemy here and seeing these lads battle mud, water and building collapses really emphasis that the mission is just as much about survial as it is time constraints. Great messages about how strong the power of hope can be even when the odds are severely stacked against us theres always something beautiful, magical or meaningful that keeps us pushing on or that makes us find the courage to go beyond what we thought we were ever capable of. A brilliantly acted, flawlessly filmed, epic scale journey of an intense character struggle accompanied by a heart pounding adrenalin inducing score and beautiful cinematography make 1917 is a truly stunning and absolutely fantasic experience.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated The Gentlemen (2020) in Movies
Jan 6, 2020 (Updated Jan 6, 2020)
A funny angle
Gentleman is Guy Richie's attempt to bring the british gangster movies from the past back into the modern time and while it may just be an updated version of Snatch its a bloody enjoyable update. It seems like years ago now since I grew out of the 'British Gangster' film phase of my life and while I actaully find Snatch to be over rated myself instead much preferring Guy Richie's other work I can still understand why it has such a big following. Gentleman follows the same formula either deliberately or coincidentally and while this does feel repetative/outdated I couldnt help but be pulled in and deliciously entertained by it. Playing out a bit like reading a comic book Gentleman is satisfyingly violent, full of cusing/crudness and full of mostly satisfying twists and turns. At first I hated it but after the first 20 minutes I just let go and finally started getting back in to this sort of style. Full to the brim with exposition dialog but its handled in a refreshing new way which made hearing it less eye rolling and instead kept it constantly entertaining. Essentially one big power struggle between an assortment of characters non of which are actually very nice people but the ones Hugh Grant and Charlie hunnam play are extremely likeable. Watching these two interact on screen is the absolute bread and butter and they both play interesting characters both with very unique individual traits and characteristics. Colin Farrell is also superb and memorable too and the film has a wicked sense of humor that kept me laughing the whole way through. If you are easily offended its safe to say this is not the film for you as its not only full of extreame cursing but constant racism and violence too. By no means a perfect film or a gangster masterpiece Gentleman is still and absolute blast to watch and has enough twists/turns, quirky characters, witty dialog, fresh ideas, tension, violence/mucking about to entertain and offend pretty much anyone. Highly enjoyable.
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated Wrath of the Titans (2012) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Sequels often struggle to live up to the expectations set by their predecessors. Wrath of the Titans delivers. Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, and Ralph Fiennes reprise their roles as Perseus, Zeus, and Hades in this continuation of the Clash of the Titans remake from 2010. They’re joined this time by Rosamund Pike, who portrays the strong, female love interest as the beautiful Queen Andromeda.
Perseus has settled down to become a fisherman with his son. His wife has been written out of the story — either by design or because the actress was not available. She seems to be dead for no particular reason. Perseus has chosen to live life as a mortal, despite his father, Zeus (Neeson), offering him a seat of power on Olympus. Early in the movie, Zeus comes to his son and asks for help, telling him something big is coming. Only Perseus, a demi-god, would have the strength to ensure humanity’s survival.
The rest of the story involves Perseus’s journey to save the world from the reawakening of Chronos. Mythology geeks and fantasy buffs will appreciate the severity of this situation.
While the makers of this film certainly didn’t reinvent the wheel, or even attempt to one-up their previous film, they surely succeeded in making an entertaining screenplay. In short: if you liked the first, you will like this one. It has all the action, sword-swinging, flying-horse-riding, and titan-killing you would expect from the series. The CGI is impressive, and the 3D effects were not too objectionable.
One scene in particular stuck out as ill-conceived. The kiss at the end of the film felt forced. There was very little romantic build-up throughout the movie, so it felt as if the filmmakers included the kiss because moviegoers expect to see romantic resolution. Perhaps this is one of the several endings they filmed, at which point they let focus groups make the call. Either way, it felt awkward.
As I said before, if you enjoyed the first, seeing the second is worth your time and money.
Perseus has settled down to become a fisherman with his son. His wife has been written out of the story — either by design or because the actress was not available. She seems to be dead for no particular reason. Perseus has chosen to live life as a mortal, despite his father, Zeus (Neeson), offering him a seat of power on Olympus. Early in the movie, Zeus comes to his son and asks for help, telling him something big is coming. Only Perseus, a demi-god, would have the strength to ensure humanity’s survival.
The rest of the story involves Perseus’s journey to save the world from the reawakening of Chronos. Mythology geeks and fantasy buffs will appreciate the severity of this situation.
While the makers of this film certainly didn’t reinvent the wheel, or even attempt to one-up their previous film, they surely succeeded in making an entertaining screenplay. In short: if you liked the first, you will like this one. It has all the action, sword-swinging, flying-horse-riding, and titan-killing you would expect from the series. The CGI is impressive, and the 3D effects were not too objectionable.
One scene in particular stuck out as ill-conceived. The kiss at the end of the film felt forced. There was very little romantic build-up throughout the movie, so it felt as if the filmmakers included the kiss because moviegoers expect to see romantic resolution. Perhaps this is one of the several endings they filmed, at which point they let focus groups make the call. Either way, it felt awkward.
As I said before, if you enjoyed the first, seeing the second is worth your time and money.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Passenger (Passenger, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
My very first taste of Alexandra Bracken's works didn't go bad after all (which means I don't have to mope or panic about wasting 99 cents on the first two books in her other series).
<i>Passenger</i> was a little hard for me to get into, at least in terms of characters – everything else is on good terms with me. The traveler world is a delight to read about – Bracken reveals some tidbits from significant events in history I've never actually known about unless I decide to dive into the nit picky details of world/American history or do research for fun on my own. I also love how Bracken integrates music into the traveling world.
Then there are the characters, especially Etta and Nick, who are pretty much the only characters throughout the entire novel. Everyone else appears every so often.
I'm a huge character person – I'm very nit picky about the characters I read about and is unintentionally weighed heavily on whether or not I become fond of the book or my continuation of reading the book. *cough* <i><a title="The Fifth Wave review" href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/2015/05/dnf-review-the-5th-wave-by-rick-yancey-so.html"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Fifth Wave</a></i> didn't bode too well, and that's an understatement.
We have Etta, part one of two main characters/views. She's a violin prodigy, a loner (violin is everything after all), acts superior, and pleases her mother even when she doesn't want to.
Problem? Yep. The girl acts quite bratty and thinks she's everything.
Then there's Nick. He's from another time period, bitter, and blames himself for Julian's death constantly.
What a lovely duo to contend with.
But this is when Bracken just introduces Mademoiselle Superior and Monsieur Bitter into the story. Over the course of being a passenger in this wonderful book – the pun is totally intended – that doesn't sound so wonderful as of right now, saying Nick and Etta are horrible characters is a complete understatement.
Etta is not just a violin prodigy thrown in the world of time travel, a loner, and acts like she's better than every other violinist around her. She is also someone who is fierce, stubborn, and has no problem standing up for her beliefs or speaking her mind. Perhaps she's not bratty after all.
And Nick... well... he's secretly sweet among that internal bitterness.
I'm completely fond of the two characters by the time Bracken takes me through several time periods on Nick and Etta's journey to take back the astrolabe her mother hid from the Ironwoods (who is apparently thirsty for power and creating a familial empire through time). <i>Passenger</i> is a power struggle among families and a revenge rolled into time travel adventure and romance – it's going to be interesting to see where Bracken takes the series in future novels.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-passenger-by-alexandra-bracken/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
My very first taste of Alexandra Bracken's works didn't go bad after all (which means I don't have to mope or panic about wasting 99 cents on the first two books in her other series).
<i>Passenger</i> was a little hard for me to get into, at least in terms of characters – everything else is on good terms with me. The traveler world is a delight to read about – Bracken reveals some tidbits from significant events in history I've never actually known about unless I decide to dive into the nit picky details of world/American history or do research for fun on my own. I also love how Bracken integrates music into the traveling world.
Then there are the characters, especially Etta and Nick, who are pretty much the only characters throughout the entire novel. Everyone else appears every so often.
I'm a huge character person – I'm very nit picky about the characters I read about and is unintentionally weighed heavily on whether or not I become fond of the book or my continuation of reading the book. *cough* <i><a title="The Fifth Wave review" href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/2015/05/dnf-review-the-5th-wave-by-rick-yancey-so.html"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Fifth Wave</a></i> didn't bode too well, and that's an understatement.
We have Etta, part one of two main characters/views. She's a violin prodigy, a loner (violin is everything after all), acts superior, and pleases her mother even when she doesn't want to.
Problem? Yep. The girl acts quite bratty and thinks she's everything.
Then there's Nick. He's from another time period, bitter, and blames himself for Julian's death constantly.
What a lovely duo to contend with.
But this is when Bracken just introduces Mademoiselle Superior and Monsieur Bitter into the story. Over the course of being a passenger in this wonderful book – the pun is totally intended – that doesn't sound so wonderful as of right now, saying Nick and Etta are horrible characters is a complete understatement.
Etta is not just a violin prodigy thrown in the world of time travel, a loner, and acts like she's better than every other violinist around her. She is also someone who is fierce, stubborn, and has no problem standing up for her beliefs or speaking her mind. Perhaps she's not bratty after all.
And Nick... well... he's secretly sweet among that internal bitterness.
I'm completely fond of the two characters by the time Bracken takes me through several time periods on Nick and Etta's journey to take back the astrolabe her mother hid from the Ironwoods (who is apparently thirsty for power and creating a familial empire through time). <i>Passenger</i> is a power struggle among families and a revenge rolled into time travel adventure and romance – it's going to be interesting to see where Bracken takes the series in future novels.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-passenger-by-alexandra-bracken/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Sarah (126 KP) rated Justice League (2017) in Movies
Aug 25, 2018
Very Weak
Upfront, let me say that I'm neither a Marvel nor a DC girl - to be honest, I would struggle (in the past) to differentiate one universe from the other, so there's no bias - in that sense - to my review.
For family film night we decided to watch Justice League - we'd all really enjoyed Wonder Woman (me, in particular) so figured a superhero film with the lovely Gal Gadot back again would be a good choice.
Oh how wrong we were.
The whole thing, from start to finish, is just exceptionally weak. Almost the complete opposite of Wonder Woman, neither the story or action were sufficient to capture any of our attention. The plot, with the boxes was rather vague and not compelling, too much time was spent on "getting the gang together", with very little happening, and not enough on the actual story itself.
One observation was "what's the point of Aquaman?" - other than having another location for a box, this was quite a good point. It felt like we spent a fair amount of time on setting the scene with him, but for very little in terms of what he could do or offer the Justice League.
To be completely honest, the whole ensemble seemed to be lacking - we didn't see the gadgets of Batman, the awesome power of Wonder Woman, anything very much at all of The Flash or Victor Stone - speaking of whom, for people like me who don't know the comic books, a bit of an idea of who these characters are wouldn't go amiss! My husband even asked "so, is he a knock off Iron Man?"
Then we come to Henry Cavill's face. Reading another review, I now understand he had a moustache which was digitally edited out - when watching I actually asked did he die part way through filming so they had to CGI him in? (Jokingly, I knew he didn't but the CGI was THAT bad!)
There is so much CGI in the film, it begs the question why not just make an animated film? It's so badly worked in at times, and so poorly done (see Henry Cavill's face).
I was so disappointed in this, not even topless Jason Momoa or stunning Gal Gadot could save it for me. But at least we had a laugh working lines from 'Born to be Wild' into our commentary of the film...
For family film night we decided to watch Justice League - we'd all really enjoyed Wonder Woman (me, in particular) so figured a superhero film with the lovely Gal Gadot back again would be a good choice.
Oh how wrong we were.
The whole thing, from start to finish, is just exceptionally weak. Almost the complete opposite of Wonder Woman, neither the story or action were sufficient to capture any of our attention. The plot, with the boxes was rather vague and not compelling, too much time was spent on "getting the gang together", with very little happening, and not enough on the actual story itself.
One observation was "what's the point of Aquaman?" - other than having another location for a box, this was quite a good point. It felt like we spent a fair amount of time on setting the scene with him, but for very little in terms of what he could do or offer the Justice League.
To be completely honest, the whole ensemble seemed to be lacking - we didn't see the gadgets of Batman, the awesome power of Wonder Woman, anything very much at all of The Flash or Victor Stone - speaking of whom, for people like me who don't know the comic books, a bit of an idea of who these characters are wouldn't go amiss! My husband even asked "so, is he a knock off Iron Man?"
Then we come to Henry Cavill's face. Reading another review, I now understand he had a moustache which was digitally edited out - when watching I actually asked did he die part way through filming so they had to CGI him in? (Jokingly, I knew he didn't but the CGI was THAT bad!)
There is so much CGI in the film, it begs the question why not just make an animated film? It's so badly worked in at times, and so poorly done (see Henry Cavill's face).
I was so disappointed in this, not even topless Jason Momoa or stunning Gal Gadot could save it for me. But at least we had a laugh working lines from 'Born to be Wild' into our commentary of the film...
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Skull Throne in Books
Nov 25, 2019
The fourth installment of Brett's impressive Demonwar books takes up exactly where the last book, The Daylight War, finished. With Jardir and Arlen last seen falling from a high cliff during a fight to the death, each side must manage without their Deliverer to battle the threat from the demons - and each other.
With Jardir gone, Inevera and Abban face a struggle for survival as his sons try to position themselves so they can take the Skull Throne and continue the daylight war against the Thesans seeking to unite all of mankind against the demon threat by force and subjugation.
Meanwhile the leaders of Hollow County are embroiled in political intrigue over the failure of the Duke of Angiers to produce an heir and questions about the rise of the Hollow as a power that could rival the Duke. Any actions by either side now could put the whole fate of the world at risk.
This is undoubtedly the best in the series to so far. All the characters and plot strands from the previous books are woven into a taut tale that drives forward with each page. Where previous installments have been mostly dialogue, this book moves neatly from one set piece to another, from battles against demons to assassination attempts stirred by old rivalries this books has it all.
Once again it is the characters that drive the book; without Brett's fine eye for detail the reader wouldn't care so much about the characters and it's a rare trick that the reader is able to support characters on both sides of the conflicts and arguments.
The momentum builds throughout to a final few chapters that are simply jaw dropping in terms of storyline, pace and scope. The next installment simply cannot come fast enough.
I'm also glad I read the UK hardback edition with the fantastic picture of Rojer looking very mean on the cover. From being my least favourite character he is definitely the stand out in this book.
Entirely recommended. It's a big book (the story ended on page 737) but well worth the read. However if you have not read the previous books in the series you will need to start at The Painted Man as previous knowledge of the characters and situations is assumed. But you will not regret it, Brett's world of demons is one of the best fantasy concepts out there.
Rated: Violent scenes and some sexual references
With Jardir gone, Inevera and Abban face a struggle for survival as his sons try to position themselves so they can take the Skull Throne and continue the daylight war against the Thesans seeking to unite all of mankind against the demon threat by force and subjugation.
Meanwhile the leaders of Hollow County are embroiled in political intrigue over the failure of the Duke of Angiers to produce an heir and questions about the rise of the Hollow as a power that could rival the Duke. Any actions by either side now could put the whole fate of the world at risk.
This is undoubtedly the best in the series to so far. All the characters and plot strands from the previous books are woven into a taut tale that drives forward with each page. Where previous installments have been mostly dialogue, this book moves neatly from one set piece to another, from battles against demons to assassination attempts stirred by old rivalries this books has it all.
Once again it is the characters that drive the book; without Brett's fine eye for detail the reader wouldn't care so much about the characters and it's a rare trick that the reader is able to support characters on both sides of the conflicts and arguments.
The momentum builds throughout to a final few chapters that are simply jaw dropping in terms of storyline, pace and scope. The next installment simply cannot come fast enough.
I'm also glad I read the UK hardback edition with the fantastic picture of Rojer looking very mean on the cover. From being my least favourite character he is definitely the stand out in this book.
Entirely recommended. It's a big book (the story ended on page 737) but well worth the read. However if you have not read the previous books in the series you will need to start at The Painted Man as previous knowledge of the characters and situations is assumed. But you will not regret it, Brett's world of demons is one of the best fantasy concepts out there.
Rated: Violent scenes and some sexual references
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Imperfect Women in Books
Sep 17, 2020
An engaging and suspenseful look into the power of secrets
Eleanor, Nancy, and Mary have been best friends since they met at Oxford. But then Nancy is murdered, leaving behind an adoring husband and a daughter. Her life, from the outside, was seemingly perfect. But Eleanor knows that the night Nancy died, she was going to meet her lover, hoping to break it off. And as the investigation into Nancy's death continues, both Eleanor and Mary struggle with their grief, the memories they have of their friend, and what her death means for those left behind.
"Eleanor felt a jolt of terror pass through her as she realized that everything about Nancy's death was worse than any other death anywhere. They would all suffer, and nothing would ever be the same again."
This was a truly fascinating book: it's part character-driven mystery and part insightful look at the role of women in society. It's told from the point of view of the three friends, but not the usual quick back and forth: we get large chunks of the story told from one woman at a time. Truths unfold slowly, as we learn bits and pieces about Eleanor, Nancy, and Mary--from themselves and each other.
The focal point of the story is Nancy's rather gruesome murder, but Hall fills her tale with thoughts and ruminations on women and how they are seen in society--and how they feel they are perceived. In some ways, it felt like a bunch broad generalizations applied to women, yet as I read, I found that most of them really rang true. I was furiously highlighting passages, nodding my head yes!
At times, it was hard to see where this book was going. Murder? Deep thoughts? It certainly straddled the line on both. In terms of Nancy's murder, I had a good chunk figured out early on, but the story certainly kept me engaged, reading and wondering if I was right. All three flawed (imperfect, indeed) women were interesting in their own way, and I liked each woman's section. I found this to be a very well-written book, but it's not a snappy thriller.
If you want a fast whodunit, this isn't for you. But if you want a well-done and thoughtful read, I recommend Hall's latest. It's a suspenseful and insightful look at love, marriage, and friendship. 4 stars.
"Eleanor felt a jolt of terror pass through her as she realized that everything about Nancy's death was worse than any other death anywhere. They would all suffer, and nothing would ever be the same again."
This was a truly fascinating book: it's part character-driven mystery and part insightful look at the role of women in society. It's told from the point of view of the three friends, but not the usual quick back and forth: we get large chunks of the story told from one woman at a time. Truths unfold slowly, as we learn bits and pieces about Eleanor, Nancy, and Mary--from themselves and each other.
The focal point of the story is Nancy's rather gruesome murder, but Hall fills her tale with thoughts and ruminations on women and how they are seen in society--and how they feel they are perceived. In some ways, it felt like a bunch broad generalizations applied to women, yet as I read, I found that most of them really rang true. I was furiously highlighting passages, nodding my head yes!
At times, it was hard to see where this book was going. Murder? Deep thoughts? It certainly straddled the line on both. In terms of Nancy's murder, I had a good chunk figured out early on, but the story certainly kept me engaged, reading and wondering if I was right. All three flawed (imperfect, indeed) women were interesting in their own way, and I liked each woman's section. I found this to be a very well-written book, but it's not a snappy thriller.
If you want a fast whodunit, this isn't for you. But if you want a well-done and thoughtful read, I recommend Hall's latest. It's a suspenseful and insightful look at love, marriage, and friendship. 4 stars.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Cleopatra's Moon in Books
Feb 15, 2019
<i>Cleopatra's Moon</i> tells the childhood story of Cleopatra Selene, daughter of Marc Antony (Marcus Antonius) and the most famous Cleopatra (VII) in history. The story covers her life from ages six to sixteen, from her parents' fall from power to the capture of Cleopatra Selene and her brothers to their lives living in Rome.
Catered to the young adult market, <i>Cleopatra's Moon</i> has a lot to offer older readers as well. While there may not be as much meat on the bones as many adult historical fiction novels have, the history is plentiful and smoothly incorporated into the story. Aside from a few, minor instances, not much Cleopatra Selene said or did stood out as odd and the history seemed sound (though I am far from an expert). The author's writing style is easy to read, has a nice flow, and the descriptions are well-done; I could easily picture the surroundings, so the scenes came alive for me. She doesn't shy away from suggestive scenes, making the story feel more realistic, though nothing is described explicitly either. The author is up front about what is and is not fact in the six-page section at the end of book entitled "The Facts Within the Fiction," which gives the reader more information about the people mentioned within the book. If anyone goes into this book expecting more love story than historical fiction, they will be sadly disappointed. Any love story takes a back seat to Cleopatra Selene's struggle with both herself and her circumstances in life.
If I had one quibble with the book, it was the children's and Cleopatra Selene's voices. The children sounded a bit too mature at times, including Cleopatra Selene when young. Although in her case, it was more her voice didn't change much throughout the ten years the book covered and it was too familiar. I've come across other young adult protagonists that sounded very similar to her, both historical and contemporary, so I was hoping hers would be a bit more distinctive from the rest. Still, it's a very small thing and I did like Cleo Selene; she wasn't passive, but she wasn't aggressive either, she fell somewhere in between the two, which worked well for the book.
After all has been said, <i>Cleopatra's Moon</i> does what any (good) historical fiction novel should aspire to, it made me want to know more about the time, people, and places.
Catered to the young adult market, <i>Cleopatra's Moon</i> has a lot to offer older readers as well. While there may not be as much meat on the bones as many adult historical fiction novels have, the history is plentiful and smoothly incorporated into the story. Aside from a few, minor instances, not much Cleopatra Selene said or did stood out as odd and the history seemed sound (though I am far from an expert). The author's writing style is easy to read, has a nice flow, and the descriptions are well-done; I could easily picture the surroundings, so the scenes came alive for me. She doesn't shy away from suggestive scenes, making the story feel more realistic, though nothing is described explicitly either. The author is up front about what is and is not fact in the six-page section at the end of book entitled "The Facts Within the Fiction," which gives the reader more information about the people mentioned within the book. If anyone goes into this book expecting more love story than historical fiction, they will be sadly disappointed. Any love story takes a back seat to Cleopatra Selene's struggle with both herself and her circumstances in life.
If I had one quibble with the book, it was the children's and Cleopatra Selene's voices. The children sounded a bit too mature at times, including Cleopatra Selene when young. Although in her case, it was more her voice didn't change much throughout the ten years the book covered and it was too familiar. I've come across other young adult protagonists that sounded very similar to her, both historical and contemporary, so I was hoping hers would be a bit more distinctive from the rest. Still, it's a very small thing and I did like Cleo Selene; she wasn't passive, but she wasn't aggressive either, she fell somewhere in between the two, which worked well for the book.
After all has been said, <i>Cleopatra's Moon</i> does what any (good) historical fiction novel should aspire to, it made me want to know more about the time, people, and places.