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Deborah (162 KP) rated The May Bride in Books
Dec 21, 2018
The May Bride is not, in fact, so much about Jane Seymour - although she is the first person narrator and was married in May (practically before her predecessor was cold.....) - as about her sister in law, Katherine Folliot, first wife of her eldest brother Edward (later Duke of Somerset and Lord Protector under Edward VI). Edward's second wife, Anne Stanhope, is probably better known to historians or lovers of historical fiction, but there remains something of a mystery around the fate of Katherine Folliot, which Dunn has chosen to take as the basis of this novel.
I realised I had read a couple of Dunn's previous works - The Queen of Subtleties and The Confession of Katherine Howard. Of the former, I remember thinking that Dunn must have done a lot of research into the history of confectionery, but I can't remember anything of the second book, other than it wasn't dreadful, but wasn't the best thing I'd ever read either. I feel a bit the same about this latest offering. There's a lot of detail in there about how a moderately wealthy Tudor family may have lived, but a couple of days after I finished reading it there is nothing that stands out for me. I think perhaps that Jane herself isn't very interesting and Dunn doesn't make her interesting. I think her point is that she's plain and dull and normal and gets on with things because it's just easier.... but it doesn't make for a very entertaining read somehow. Katherine herself, who is the focus of the novel also often doesn't seem very likeable, so it's difficult to like her story or to really feel sorry for her.
In summary, not a bad read and there are far worse out there, but someone it doesn't quite hit the mark for me - just a bit forgettably mediocre.
I realised I had read a couple of Dunn's previous works - The Queen of Subtleties and The Confession of Katherine Howard. Of the former, I remember thinking that Dunn must have done a lot of research into the history of confectionery, but I can't remember anything of the second book, other than it wasn't dreadful, but wasn't the best thing I'd ever read either. I feel a bit the same about this latest offering. There's a lot of detail in there about how a moderately wealthy Tudor family may have lived, but a couple of days after I finished reading it there is nothing that stands out for me. I think perhaps that Jane herself isn't very interesting and Dunn doesn't make her interesting. I think her point is that she's plain and dull and normal and gets on with things because it's just easier.... but it doesn't make for a very entertaining read somehow. Katherine herself, who is the focus of the novel also often doesn't seem very likeable, so it's difficult to like her story or to really feel sorry for her.
In summary, not a bad read and there are far worse out there, but someone it doesn't quite hit the mark for me - just a bit forgettably mediocre.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019) in Movies
Oct 20, 2019
A pretty solid sequel
Contains spoilers, click to show
The first Maleficent is a film that could quite easily be a one and done type deal. It doesn't particularly need a sequel, but diving back into this world is huge heaps of fun.
The narrative is a little faffy to begin with, as it establishes the story, introducing us to new characters, and re-introducing us to others.
But once it gets going, it easily manages to re capture everything that was good about the first film.
Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, and Sam Riley are Greta as they were before, and newer characters played by the likes of Warwick Davis, Ed Skrein, Robert Lindsay, and Chiwetel Ejiofor all have their place and fit alongside everyone else nicely.
Michelle Pfeiffer is also a fun villain , starting off as a thorn in the side and evolving into full mad queen by the end.
The expiration of the larger world surrounding Maleficent is a nice route to take for the most part. There are some pacing issues around the mid section, and sometimes it feels like Maleficent is sidelined in favour of other it strands.
These are minor annoyances though, as the film heads towards it's hugely entertaining finale.
The third act is fantastic. The action is thrilling, the visuals are stunning, and the stakes actually feel quite high. It plays out at times like a PG version of The Red Wedding!
The CGI throughout is top quality, and much like the first, the various settings seen throughout feel fully realised and vivid.
Mistress of Evil is a sequel that perhaps didn't need to happen, but I'm glad that it did, and the two films together stand head and shoulders above any other live action adaption that Disney have put out in recent years.
The narrative is a little faffy to begin with, as it establishes the story, introducing us to new characters, and re-introducing us to others.
But once it gets going, it easily manages to re capture everything that was good about the first film.
Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, and Sam Riley are Greta as they were before, and newer characters played by the likes of Warwick Davis, Ed Skrein, Robert Lindsay, and Chiwetel Ejiofor all have their place and fit alongside everyone else nicely.
Michelle Pfeiffer is also a fun villain , starting off as a thorn in the side and evolving into full mad queen by the end.
The expiration of the larger world surrounding Maleficent is a nice route to take for the most part. There are some pacing issues around the mid section, and sometimes it feels like Maleficent is sidelined in favour of other it strands.
These are minor annoyances though, as the film heads towards it's hugely entertaining finale.
The third act is fantastic. The action is thrilling, the visuals are stunning, and the stakes actually feel quite high. It plays out at times like a PG version of The Red Wedding!
The CGI throughout is top quality, and much like the first, the various settings seen throughout feel fully realised and vivid.
Mistress of Evil is a sequel that perhaps didn't need to happen, but I'm glad that it did, and the two films together stand head and shoulders above any other live action adaption that Disney have put out in recent years.
Madbatdan82 (341 KP) rated Hellboy (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2019
I've never laughed so much - in a bad way!
Firstly - I love the first 2 Hellboy films. Ron Perlman was perfect in the role and I'm a massive fan of Guillermo del Toro. I really wanted to see the end of their trilogy showing the Hell-king Amun un Rama story but it wasnt to be. But when I heard they were rebooting with David Harbour, Ian Mcshane and Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers) directing then I held some high hopes. Those lasted about 3 mins into the film!! This film is AWFUL! Everything is wrong. The story is lazy and borrows so much from the 2 del toro films even having certain scenes (hellboys birth and final fight) are pretty much scene for scene copies! The story that it doesnt borrow from the other films is some bollocks about a blood queen, Merlin and Arthur and excalibur and im almost laughing writing this as it's so ridiculous. It takes place in London so obviously everyone has a ridiculous cockney accent. The reason this gets a 2 out of 10 is because theres some really good gore and the Hell-king scenes are pretty awesome. Ian Mcshane is as always awesome but he is completely mis-cast as Prof Broom so even that feels wrong. They tease a sequel in the final shot, a mid credits scene and an end of credits scene. If they had spent that much time and effort on the logistics of making a good film they may have been able to salvage something passable - unfortunately they didnt and this is almost unmatched garbage!!
Merissa (12911 KP) rated Initiated (Daywalker Academy #4) in Books
Mar 25, 2020
Initiated is the fourth book in the Daywalker Academy series and, yes, I know I've said this before but, it should definitely be read as a series or you just won't get what's happening.
So first off, thank you Ms. Daniels for giving me Zoltan back. I really do appreciate it! Sigh, every page he was on was just... *insert another sigh*. Now, if you could just get Franky and Zoltan to see eye-to-eye and stop giving me whiplash, that would be fantastic!
We are introduced to a major character in this book - and it's not very often I get the chance to say THAT with book four in a series! Tenebris, the black panther. You know, he hasn't spoken a single word (for obvious reasons) and yet he may just match the Queen of Snark, Maya, oops I mean, Franky, herself!
As with this whole series, this is a non-stop-action story. Franky is tired in one part and, to be honest, so was I! Honestly, I have no idea where she gets her stamina from. Maybe it's being a half-blood or maybe it's the dragon blood. Either way, I'm exhausted from reading but I wouldn't change a thing!
As always, it ends on one helluva cliffhanger. I really need to understand just what happened in those last couple of action-packed pages. All I can say is "Poor Franky!!!"
So... do I recommend this book? Abso-frickin'-lutely!!! Just, don't start here but back at book one so you get the full experience. You won't regret it. I promise you that!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
So first off, thank you Ms. Daniels for giving me Zoltan back. I really do appreciate it! Sigh, every page he was on was just... *insert another sigh*. Now, if you could just get Franky and Zoltan to see eye-to-eye and stop giving me whiplash, that would be fantastic!
We are introduced to a major character in this book - and it's not very often I get the chance to say THAT with book four in a series! Tenebris, the black panther. You know, he hasn't spoken a single word (for obvious reasons) and yet he may just match the Queen of Snark, Maya, oops I mean, Franky, herself!
As with this whole series, this is a non-stop-action story. Franky is tired in one part and, to be honest, so was I! Honestly, I have no idea where she gets her stamina from. Maybe it's being a half-blood or maybe it's the dragon blood. Either way, I'm exhausted from reading but I wouldn't change a thing!
As always, it ends on one helluva cliffhanger. I really need to understand just what happened in those last couple of action-packed pages. All I can say is "Poor Franky!!!"
So... do I recommend this book? Abso-frickin'-lutely!!! Just, don't start here but back at book one so you get the full experience. You won't regret it. I promise you that!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
AJaneClark (3975 KP) rated The Last Kingdom - Season 1 in TV
Apr 24, 2020
Great start!
Contains spoilers, click to show
When Anglo-Saxons are attacked by Viking forces, Uhtred, born a Saxon but raised by Vikings, finds his loyalties tested as he tries to claim his birthright and help create a new nation.
The first episode: Abducted by a Viking warlord after his father is slain in battle, young Uhtred adopts the Norse way of life until tragedy befalls his new family.
Episode 2: Caught between his scheming uncle Ælfric and pitiless Viking warlord Ubba, Uhtred goes on the run and seeks out Alfred, the man who would be king.
Episode 3: Uhtred allies himself with newly crowned Alfred, but his commitment to the nascent king jeopardizes his bond with Brida.
Episode 4: After Uhtred faces betrayal and falls into hostile hands, his Danish brother, Ragnar the Young, scrambles to save his life.
Episode 5: After rescuing Mildrith, Uhtred joins the fierce battle of Cynuit and vanquishes a forbidding foe, only to have Odda the Younger claim the victory.
Episode 6: Uhtred catches the eye of a lovely pagan queen, and his band of raiders becomes mercenaries for a Cornish king. But he soon faces the fury of Alfred.
Episode 7: Driven to hiding in the marshes after the Vikings invade Wessex, Uhtred and Alfred finally make amends and devise a plan for retaking the kingdom.
Episode 8: Calling upon Saxon forces to rally and drive the Vikings out of Wessex, Uhtred and Alfred gird for a decisive battle, but treachery awaits.
Season one of The Last Kingdom introduces us to a great cast, lots of action scenes and full on drama from the start. It is very well scripted with moments of humour, battle scenes, moments of heartbreak and drama. The great casting ensures that the actors and actresses are well suited to their roles.
The first episode: Abducted by a Viking warlord after his father is slain in battle, young Uhtred adopts the Norse way of life until tragedy befalls his new family.
Episode 2: Caught between his scheming uncle Ælfric and pitiless Viking warlord Ubba, Uhtred goes on the run and seeks out Alfred, the man who would be king.
Episode 3: Uhtred allies himself with newly crowned Alfred, but his commitment to the nascent king jeopardizes his bond with Brida.
Episode 4: After Uhtred faces betrayal and falls into hostile hands, his Danish brother, Ragnar the Young, scrambles to save his life.
Episode 5: After rescuing Mildrith, Uhtred joins the fierce battle of Cynuit and vanquishes a forbidding foe, only to have Odda the Younger claim the victory.
Episode 6: Uhtred catches the eye of a lovely pagan queen, and his band of raiders becomes mercenaries for a Cornish king. But he soon faces the fury of Alfred.
Episode 7: Driven to hiding in the marshes after the Vikings invade Wessex, Uhtred and Alfred finally make amends and devise a plan for retaking the kingdom.
Episode 8: Calling upon Saxon forces to rally and drive the Vikings out of Wessex, Uhtred and Alfred gird for a decisive battle, but treachery awaits.
Season one of The Last Kingdom introduces us to a great cast, lots of action scenes and full on drama from the start. It is very well scripted with moments of humour, battle scenes, moments of heartbreak and drama. The great casting ensures that the actors and actresses are well suited to their roles.
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