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Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated Uncut Gems (2019) in Movies
Mar 2, 2020 (Updated Mar 3, 2020)
I despised this film so much, I can barely bring myself to look at Adam Sandler’s face ever again! I mean, I hated everything about it. Half a day after seeing it I am still feeling somewhat nauseous, and full of disbelief that it has been subject to such attention and favourable reviews.
Objectively, it isn’t a badly made film; it has a consistent visual and tonal style, and at least the semblance of a structure that drives towards a conclusion that makes sense. It is just that it is a nasty piece of work, about awful people in an awful world, doing awful things, presented as though that is somehow edgy and cool, rather than crass and offensive.
Not since Whiplash has a film felt so much like a heart-attack, such is the dizzying, unrelenting pace. If it is designed to unnerve then it accomplishes that in spades, but unlike Whiplash it is not a pleasant experience to be forced to feel that way for 2 hours in the presence of this despicable character. It lacks any kind of grace or empathy, replacing clever, tight dialogue with loud, grating rants that make you feel physically sick.
Much has been made by Netflix of publicising this as an awards worthy work, with Sandler at the centre of attention. And many have wondered why it has been shunned by every major awards, in every category. That is no mystery to me, because when you strip away the bling it is almost totally devoid of value or meaning. It is just about an arsehole being an arsehole, surrounded by arseholes, chasing something no one cares about but them.
Screaming and saying “fuck” a lot in every single scene does not constitute acting. It constitutes an annoying headache! This is not the Sandler of Punch Drunk Love or Reign Over Me, where he does demonstrate some skill, but the Sandler of his worst macho and misogynistic tendencies. Take my word for it and avoid this piece of trash at all costs. Life is too short. The only reason I am not giving this 1/10 is that it did have the power to offend me – insipid it isn’t, repugnant it surely is.
Objectively, it isn’t a badly made film; it has a consistent visual and tonal style, and at least the semblance of a structure that drives towards a conclusion that makes sense. It is just that it is a nasty piece of work, about awful people in an awful world, doing awful things, presented as though that is somehow edgy and cool, rather than crass and offensive.
Not since Whiplash has a film felt so much like a heart-attack, such is the dizzying, unrelenting pace. If it is designed to unnerve then it accomplishes that in spades, but unlike Whiplash it is not a pleasant experience to be forced to feel that way for 2 hours in the presence of this despicable character. It lacks any kind of grace or empathy, replacing clever, tight dialogue with loud, grating rants that make you feel physically sick.
Much has been made by Netflix of publicising this as an awards worthy work, with Sandler at the centre of attention. And many have wondered why it has been shunned by every major awards, in every category. That is no mystery to me, because when you strip away the bling it is almost totally devoid of value or meaning. It is just about an arsehole being an arsehole, surrounded by arseholes, chasing something no one cares about but them.
Screaming and saying “fuck” a lot in every single scene does not constitute acting. It constitutes an annoying headache! This is not the Sandler of Punch Drunk Love or Reign Over Me, where he does demonstrate some skill, but the Sandler of his worst macho and misogynistic tendencies. Take my word for it and avoid this piece of trash at all costs. Life is too short. The only reason I am not giving this 1/10 is that it did have the power to offend me – insipid it isn’t, repugnant it surely is.
TravelersWife4Life (31 KP) rated Star of Persia: Esther's Story in Books
Feb 24, 2021
I love the story of Esther!
This was my first time reading a book by Jill Eileen Smith and I truly liked it. I usually tend to stay away from Biblical fiction, as I want to remember the story as it happens in the Bible. However, I may revisit my stance on that after reading this wonderful retelling of Esther in the Star of Persia. I believe that Jill Eileen Smith helped me see Esther’s story from a completely new perspective that only added to my knowledge of the original Biblical story.
The whole book was liking being inside Esther’s head and seeing what she would have been going through during the virgin selection prosses, through her reign as Queen of Persia. This book also helped give words to the emotions Esther would have been experiencing as she was being taken away from her family, thrown into a completely new world, and knowing that she risked everything for the lives of her people. This book gave me a new respect for Esther and helped me to understand the enormity of what Esther did for the Jewish people. I think that the Star of Persia added to my understanding of that period and showed how amazingly God used an orphan to achieve great things for His people.
I loved the historical accuracy of this book as well. If you read the authors' note at the end of the book, Jill Eileen Smith explains some of the different variants, both Biblical and secular, about the story of Esther. An awesome fountain of facts! It helped me understand more of the intricacies of the Biblical story from a historical standpoint.
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for the creative insights to the life and times of Esther, for giving me a better connection to the Biblical story, and for the great historical detail that went into making this book so accurate. I highly recommend reading this book.
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
This was my first time reading a book by Jill Eileen Smith and I truly liked it. I usually tend to stay away from Biblical fiction, as I want to remember the story as it happens in the Bible. However, I may revisit my stance on that after reading this wonderful retelling of Esther in the Star of Persia. I believe that Jill Eileen Smith helped me see Esther’s story from a completely new perspective that only added to my knowledge of the original Biblical story.
The whole book was liking being inside Esther’s head and seeing what she would have been going through during the virgin selection prosses, through her reign as Queen of Persia. This book also helped give words to the emotions Esther would have been experiencing as she was being taken away from her family, thrown into a completely new world, and knowing that she risked everything for the lives of her people. This book gave me a new respect for Esther and helped me to understand the enormity of what Esther did for the Jewish people. I think that the Star of Persia added to my understanding of that period and showed how amazingly God used an orphan to achieve great things for His people.
I loved the historical accuracy of this book as well. If you read the authors' note at the end of the book, Jill Eileen Smith explains some of the different variants, both Biblical and secular, about the story of Esther. An awesome fountain of facts! It helped me understand more of the intricacies of the Biblical story from a historical standpoint.
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for the creative insights to the life and times of Esther, for giving me a better connection to the Biblical story, and for the great historical detail that went into making this book so accurate. I highly recommend reading this book.
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Doors: Field of Blood in Books
Apr 8, 2021
Finally at an end
This the third and final book in this set (though they aren't to be read in any specific order) was consistent with the first two books. The beginning, shared, quarter sets up an intriguing tale of a group of disparate experts tasked with rescuing the missing daughter of a rich businessman, who has disappeared after going through a mysterious door.
This book sees the group enter a door that takes them to an alternate version of middle-ages France/Germany and the reign of the Frankian empire. As with the World War II element of the second book, this was more or less a passing interest to the book rather than a key element of the story.
The group have found themselves in a version of history where women rule the empire and generally take positions of power, and a building conspiracy among men seeks to reverse this and look to change this in the history books. For me, this was the most interesting aspect of the book, and one that could be plausible. Sadly, I couldn't see past some modern day people apparently conversing comfortably with people from the 9th century without issue, and there being no attempt to address this at all.
Meanwhile in the real world, we learn more about the doors, their use and the mysterious agency controlling them. We learn more in this one book than the other two put together, and between the three we now have a good amount of knowledge about these portals. Some aspects of their use don't add up though, as with any sort of time travel/portal notion.
The book ends fairly abruptly with a long voyage which is skipped over in a very 'sod it, that's the word count reached, wrap it up' style.
Overall, I was very disappointed with these books. While I liked having to piece together things from each book and start to get a feel for the world, I felt so much of it fell short. As with the other two books, it offered so much promise but fell flat.
This book sees the group enter a door that takes them to an alternate version of middle-ages France/Germany and the reign of the Frankian empire. As with the World War II element of the second book, this was more or less a passing interest to the book rather than a key element of the story.
The group have found themselves in a version of history where women rule the empire and generally take positions of power, and a building conspiracy among men seeks to reverse this and look to change this in the history books. For me, this was the most interesting aspect of the book, and one that could be plausible. Sadly, I couldn't see past some modern day people apparently conversing comfortably with people from the 9th century without issue, and there being no attempt to address this at all.
Meanwhile in the real world, we learn more about the doors, their use and the mysterious agency controlling them. We learn more in this one book than the other two put together, and between the three we now have a good amount of knowledge about these portals. Some aspects of their use don't add up though, as with any sort of time travel/portal notion.
The book ends fairly abruptly with a long voyage which is skipped over in a very 'sod it, that's the word count reached, wrap it up' style.
Overall, I was very disappointed with these books. While I liked having to piece together things from each book and start to get a feel for the world, I felt so much of it fell short. As with the other two books, it offered so much promise but fell flat.
Lenard (726 KP) rated It: Chapter Two (2019) in Movies
Sep 9, 2019
It: Chapter Two continues the story of the malevolent cosmic being that appears mostly as a clown named Pennywise. In 1989, a group of seven friends nicknamed The Losers' Club ended the reign of terror of It, swearing a blood oath (seen in both chapters) that if It returned they would come back. They had an unearthed a twenty-year cycle of terror so one would assume that they would be extravigilent in 2016. But you know how it is. You move away from your hometown, you lose track of your friends, the horrible things that happened to you when you were 13 tend to take on a glossy foggy shade of its former memory. As an adult, you forget about some of the things you did when you were younger, keeping only the happier memories of your childhood unless you were mercilessly abused and keep hold on the childhood traumas you escaped. Bill, Stan, Eddie, Richie, Bev, and Ben have no memories of the weird events of that summer. But sometimes the past comes back to haunt you or in this case, your old friend from back then, Mike calls you up and reminds you that you made a pact.
Now, The Losers' Club reunite to defeat the evil force that overtakes their town of Derry, Maine. Like any good Stephen King adaptation, the supernatural being that terrorizes is not such a huge component. It is the story of friends and the way they are able to colloborate and grow. It: Chapter 2 is a sort of The Big Chill if a murderous clown connected the friends. Bev and Ben rediscover old feelings. Richie hides a secret from his friend, Eddie. Bill is a writer who can't write an ending until the novelization of his childhood traumas are written. Stan is (spoiler alert) Kevin Costner, but still serves an important purpose for the Club to triumph.
The movie is a blueprint for horror movie direction. Andy is a master horror visual storyteller. The movie is not very scary if you are susceptible to that. It is more a terror than fearful. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie even if it did tend to drag in areas.
Now, The Losers' Club reunite to defeat the evil force that overtakes their town of Derry, Maine. Like any good Stephen King adaptation, the supernatural being that terrorizes is not such a huge component. It is the story of friends and the way they are able to colloborate and grow. It: Chapter 2 is a sort of The Big Chill if a murderous clown connected the friends. Bev and Ben rediscover old feelings. Richie hides a secret from his friend, Eddie. Bill is a writer who can't write an ending until the novelization of his childhood traumas are written. Stan is (spoiler alert) Kevin Costner, but still serves an important purpose for the Club to triumph.
The movie is a blueprint for horror movie direction. Andy is a master horror visual storyteller. The movie is not very scary if you are susceptible to that. It is more a terror than fearful. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie even if it did tend to drag in areas.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Oxygen (2021) in Movies
Sep 28, 2021
A taut mystery horror/thriller that goes off in surprising directions!
You can recognize a ‘lockdown-produced movie’ a mile off. Typically it focuses on a handful of players, who are mostly socially isolated. Here is a classic example. Yet by doing that, the director is forced to focus in on character and dialogue. As such, some of these ‘small’ movies that reign in the director’s excesses are far better as a result.
“Oxygen” is a case in point. When I saw that the film was directed by Alexandre Aja – the man behind the OTT “Piranha 3D” and the equally OTT popcorn-croc movie “Crawl” from 2 years ago, I feared the worst. But this an intriguing little movie that mystifies and jolts in equal measure.
There is probably no such thing anymore as a truly novel thriller or science fiction film. And this draws recognisably from a host of other movies: I personally recognised elements from “Room“, “Solaris”, “Moon” and “Gravity” in there. But the closest similarity is definitely to the Ryan Reynolds 2010 thriller “Buried” which features a very similar initial set-up. If “Oxygen” were to have pulled out an ending like that film (if you haven’t watched it yet – do so!) then it would have been a mini-classic.
Positives:
No spoilers here, but this is a ‘small’ mystery movie that goes off in a VERY surprising direction. The script is genuinely unpredictable.
Mélanie Laurent gives a strong performance as the heroine near the end of her tether.
Although this is a French film, don’t let that put you off. Netflix gives options of the original French, French with subtitles and an English dub. And the English dubbing is so good that it took me until some sub-titles for text written in French before I realised it was dubbed!
Negatives:
After the long drip-drip-drip of context, I found the ending to be something of a disappointment. Too twee.
I found something morally dubious about the ‘re-routing’ request near the end of the movie. (Although, I’m sure given the options, I would probably do the same!)
If you don’t like jump scares, you are likely to spill a lot of hot drinks while watching this one!
“Oxygen” is a case in point. When I saw that the film was directed by Alexandre Aja – the man behind the OTT “Piranha 3D” and the equally OTT popcorn-croc movie “Crawl” from 2 years ago, I feared the worst. But this an intriguing little movie that mystifies and jolts in equal measure.
There is probably no such thing anymore as a truly novel thriller or science fiction film. And this draws recognisably from a host of other movies: I personally recognised elements from “Room“, “Solaris”, “Moon” and “Gravity” in there. But the closest similarity is definitely to the Ryan Reynolds 2010 thriller “Buried” which features a very similar initial set-up. If “Oxygen” were to have pulled out an ending like that film (if you haven’t watched it yet – do so!) then it would have been a mini-classic.
Positives:
No spoilers here, but this is a ‘small’ mystery movie that goes off in a VERY surprising direction. The script is genuinely unpredictable.
Mélanie Laurent gives a strong performance as the heroine near the end of her tether.
Although this is a French film, don’t let that put you off. Netflix gives options of the original French, French with subtitles and an English dub. And the English dubbing is so good that it took me until some sub-titles for text written in French before I realised it was dubbed!
Negatives:
After the long drip-drip-drip of context, I found the ending to be something of a disappointment. Too twee.
I found something morally dubious about the ‘re-routing’ request near the end of the movie. (Although, I’m sure given the options, I would probably do the same!)
If you don’t like jump scares, you are likely to spill a lot of hot drinks while watching this one!
Amy Christmas (170 KP) rated Half a King (Shattered Sea #1) in Books
Nov 27, 2017
The writing style is fluent and easy to follow (2 more)
Introduction to the world is smooth and not overwhelming
Never slow
Blew me away
Contains spoilers, click to show
I picked this book as well as the two sequels up from a charity shop for £2 on a bit of a whim, despite knowing I'd be lucky to get around to reading them in the next 3 years. A year on and boy am I glad I got to reading the first one sooner than anticipated.
Yarvi is our protagonist, a cripple that his father cast aside in favour of his 10 fingered brother, although Yarvi hated that he was ignored it allowed him to follow his own path and train to become a minister, an advisor to powerful people though he never gets a chance to pass the test. His plans dashed by his father and brothers deaths as he's forced to take the throne his father ruled from. During their funeral Yarvi swears to avenge them.
And he tries, even with his crippled hand but in such kingdoms we soon learn that betrayal is rife along with greed. Betrayed by one close to him Yarvi's reign ends abruptly on the battlefield.
After being made a slave he embarks on a journey that finds him rowing around the shattered sea and marching through snow. He manipulates small scale politics and finds himself on the sharp end of a few too many swords but with friends who seem fickle at first there to help him. However it seems that one of the group like Yarvi kept his true identity a secret and their is more to his uncles betrayal than meets the eye, because their are always more puppet masters.
And with a bittersweet ending the case is closed and the mystery solved, atleast one piece of it.
This book has a lot of death and makes you mourn those you thought you detested and hate those you thought you'd love. It's a fast paced action packed fantasy with a world of rich an wonderful colours and twists that are yelled at you from chapter one yet you still don't expect.
A very satisfying read because when you thought the betrayal was solved Abercrombie still held on to one final piece of the puzzle making for a bittersweet ending that really shows how far Yarvi has come, for better or for worse.
Yarvi is our protagonist, a cripple that his father cast aside in favour of his 10 fingered brother, although Yarvi hated that he was ignored it allowed him to follow his own path and train to become a minister, an advisor to powerful people though he never gets a chance to pass the test. His plans dashed by his father and brothers deaths as he's forced to take the throne his father ruled from. During their funeral Yarvi swears to avenge them.
And he tries, even with his crippled hand but in such kingdoms we soon learn that betrayal is rife along with greed. Betrayed by one close to him Yarvi's reign ends abruptly on the battlefield.
After being made a slave he embarks on a journey that finds him rowing around the shattered sea and marching through snow. He manipulates small scale politics and finds himself on the sharp end of a few too many swords but with friends who seem fickle at first there to help him. However it seems that one of the group like Yarvi kept his true identity a secret and their is more to his uncles betrayal than meets the eye, because their are always more puppet masters.
And with a bittersweet ending the case is closed and the mystery solved, atleast one piece of it.
This book has a lot of death and makes you mourn those you thought you detested and hate those you thought you'd love. It's a fast paced action packed fantasy with a world of rich an wonderful colours and twists that are yelled at you from chapter one yet you still don't expect.
A very satisfying read because when you thought the betrayal was solved Abercrombie still held on to one final piece of the puzzle making for a bittersweet ending that really shows how far Yarvi has come, for better or for worse.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated The Other Countess (The Lacey Chronicles, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
THE OTHER COUNTESS is a sweet and harmless love story set in Tudor England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, in the year of 1582 to be exact. Lady Eleanor Rodriguez, Countess of San Jaime, is our penniless heroine who is saddled with her absent-minded alchemist father; the roles of child and parent have been long since been reversed. The preface, which takes place in 1578, gives us our first glimpse of William Lacey, the new Earl of Dorset at age fourteen, as he throws a twelve-year-old Ellie and her father off his land.
The story itself isn't exactly original and doesn't go into any unfamiliar territory, but it's ably told and fairly inoffensive, making it suitable for older teens (there are numerous allusions to sexual situations but that's as far as it goes). The dialogue and sensibilities are more modern in nature and don't always ring true to the era, but some liberties are always taken in young adult fiction, therefore making it something I can forgive. Very light on historical content, this is more for the romantics out there who like a historical backdrop to a love story. For the first half, I wasn't very involved into either the characters or their story, and it didn't help that it moved at a slow pace, though at the halfway point it picked up and started charming me. However, the hero and heroine were a little too perfect, more so in Ellie's case, as she didn't seem to really have any negative attributes other than she has a bit of a temper. Maybe if they had a few more rough edges I would have rooted for them to have their happy ending, as it is, I wasn't that invested. I do think that the secondary character, Lady Jane Perceval, has promise on that front since her narrative had a more realistic feel to it, so I may just pick up her story when it comes out ([b:The Queen's Lady|8805112|The Queen's Lady (The Lacey Chronicles, #2)|Eve Edwards|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327950501s/8805112.jpg|13679272]). The resolution to Will and Ellie's story came far too easily and some more conflict would have made it much better. Still, as I said, it's a sweet story, even if nothing sets it apart from other books. An easy read that should appeal to teenage girls.
The story itself isn't exactly original and doesn't go into any unfamiliar territory, but it's ably told and fairly inoffensive, making it suitable for older teens (there are numerous allusions to sexual situations but that's as far as it goes). The dialogue and sensibilities are more modern in nature and don't always ring true to the era, but some liberties are always taken in young adult fiction, therefore making it something I can forgive. Very light on historical content, this is more for the romantics out there who like a historical backdrop to a love story. For the first half, I wasn't very involved into either the characters or their story, and it didn't help that it moved at a slow pace, though at the halfway point it picked up and started charming me. However, the hero and heroine were a little too perfect, more so in Ellie's case, as she didn't seem to really have any negative attributes other than she has a bit of a temper. Maybe if they had a few more rough edges I would have rooted for them to have their happy ending, as it is, I wasn't that invested. I do think that the secondary character, Lady Jane Perceval, has promise on that front since her narrative had a more realistic feel to it, so I may just pick up her story when it comes out ([b:The Queen's Lady|8805112|The Queen's Lady (The Lacey Chronicles, #2)|Eve Edwards|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327950501s/8805112.jpg|13679272]). The resolution to Will and Ellie's story came far too easily and some more conflict would have made it much better. Still, as I said, it's a sweet story, even if nothing sets it apart from other books. An easy read that should appeal to teenage girls.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Reign of the Fallen in Books
Mar 22, 2018
Reign of the Fallen has a pretty interesting premise - there are a few different school of magic in this world, and our main character is a necromancer. (One of the side characters is a Beast Master, and another is a Healer. We also see Weather Mages.) Necromancers, far from being the mysterious evil mages we see in most fantasy, are revered and noble in this world; they bring souls back from the Deadlands, when they can, so they can continue "living" in the real world. "Living" is a loose term - they must make sure they are completely covered at all times - if a living person sees any of their flesh, they turn - immediately - into terrifying monsters that hunt and kill both the living and the Dead. And the more they kill, the more powerful they become. Thankfully, people are very, very careful, and so Shades are very rare! .....or they were. Now that someone has started to purposefully make them, shit's hitting the fan.
Odessa and her friends - three other Necromancers, a Healer, a Beast Master, and a Princess - set out to solve this mystery and take out the shades wreaking havoc on the kingdom. Entwined in that plot is the near-breaking of Odessa's spirit when one of her friends dies, and the recovery from that, as well as romances with people of both genders. Yay for bisexual representation! (One of her Necromancer friends is also in a homosexual relationship with the Healer, and it's all perfectly normal. I love seeing so many fantasy YA books these days not treating that as something special or other. Yay for culture changing! Maybe someday it won't even be so out-of-the-ordinary that I'll feel the need to point it out!)
The book had a few technical problems - a few scenes where I was confused how a character had gotten someplace when I thought they were somewhere else, some confusion in how a scene was described - but those could be overlooked with how wonderful the rest of the book was.
The plot was wrapped up very nicely by the end of the book, so I don't know if there will be a sequel or not, but I really enjoyed the world and would definitely read one if she writes it!
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Odessa and her friends - three other Necromancers, a Healer, a Beast Master, and a Princess - set out to solve this mystery and take out the shades wreaking havoc on the kingdom. Entwined in that plot is the near-breaking of Odessa's spirit when one of her friends dies, and the recovery from that, as well as romances with people of both genders. Yay for bisexual representation! (One of her Necromancer friends is also in a homosexual relationship with the Healer, and it's all perfectly normal. I love seeing so many fantasy YA books these days not treating that as something special or other. Yay for culture changing! Maybe someday it won't even be so out-of-the-ordinary that I'll feel the need to point it out!)
The book had a few technical problems - a few scenes where I was confused how a character had gotten someplace when I thought they were somewhere else, some confusion in how a scene was described - but those could be overlooked with how wonderful the rest of the book was.
The plot was wrapped up very nicely by the end of the book, so I don't know if there will be a sequel or not, but I really enjoyed the world and would definitely read one if she writes it!
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order in Video Games
Apr 7, 2020
I don't have much negativity to direct at Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, it's a pretty solid single player adventure that expands on Star Wars lore to a competent degree, and had me absorbed for the most part.
For a start, the game looks amazing. The settings are full of colour one second, and then harsh and cold the next, as you traverse forest planets like Kashyyyk, before navigating through Empire facilities.
The game is set between Episodes 3 and 4 of the movie canon, and borrows asthethic elements from both the original and prequel trilogies. It's interesting to be in the middle of a universe that has recently seen the destruction of the Jedi Order.
The gameplay is also great. The exploration and parkour elements are reminiscent of the Uncharted series, but adds enough Force stuff to make it not feel stale, and the combat is thrilling. JFO is genuinely challenging at times, especially during boss battles. You have to approach each encounter with patience and some sort of plan, or you'll find yourself struggling. It's not to dissimilar from Dark Souls in that respect.
By the time I had finished the campaign, and went through areas again in my pursuit of Platinum, I had unlocked all skills, and combat became easier, at times, really giving you the feel of a Jedi Knight.
You can also build and edit your own lightsaber, which is a nice touch.
The story is ok, largely about finding a McGuffin to help restore the Jedi, but this is one of those games that is all about the journey. The characters you meet along the way are all fleshed out to an acceptable degree, and BD-1, your droid companion for the campaign, is endearing and feels essential to the way the story pans out.
My main criticism is that it didn't have a huge amount of replay value once I was done. After finishing the campaign, it didn't take a massive amount of time to mop up everything else, and that was that, but it's forgivable considering how tight and polished the rest of the game feels.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is another shining example of how important single player games are in an age where multiplayer games reign supreme. Go and play it.
For a start, the game looks amazing. The settings are full of colour one second, and then harsh and cold the next, as you traverse forest planets like Kashyyyk, before navigating through Empire facilities.
The game is set between Episodes 3 and 4 of the movie canon, and borrows asthethic elements from both the original and prequel trilogies. It's interesting to be in the middle of a universe that has recently seen the destruction of the Jedi Order.
The gameplay is also great. The exploration and parkour elements are reminiscent of the Uncharted series, but adds enough Force stuff to make it not feel stale, and the combat is thrilling. JFO is genuinely challenging at times, especially during boss battles. You have to approach each encounter with patience and some sort of plan, or you'll find yourself struggling. It's not to dissimilar from Dark Souls in that respect.
By the time I had finished the campaign, and went through areas again in my pursuit of Platinum, I had unlocked all skills, and combat became easier, at times, really giving you the feel of a Jedi Knight.
You can also build and edit your own lightsaber, which is a nice touch.
The story is ok, largely about finding a McGuffin to help restore the Jedi, but this is one of those games that is all about the journey. The characters you meet along the way are all fleshed out to an acceptable degree, and BD-1, your droid companion for the campaign, is endearing and feels essential to the way the story pans out.
My main criticism is that it didn't have a huge amount of replay value once I was done. After finishing the campaign, it didn't take a massive amount of time to mop up everything else, and that was that, but it's forgivable considering how tight and polished the rest of the game feels.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is another shining example of how important single player games are in an age where multiplayer games reign supreme. Go and play it.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Isis’ Betrayal (Dark Warrior Alliance #4) in Books
Sep 1, 2020
157 of 200
Kindle
Isis’ Betrayal ( Dark warrior alliance book4)
By Brenda Trim & Tami Julka
Isis Rowan is the fiery middle sister of the prophesized witch triplets, and when she finds out that the High Priestess Cele has not only attempted to kill her sister, but is also practicing dark magic and committing atrocious acts to gain power, she is ready to chop off some heads. To make matters worse, Cele has also targeted the gorgeous and sexy human-sex demon hybrid Braeden, who also happens to be her Fated Mate. Isis is ready to kick some ass, until she realizes that Braeden is not all that he seems. Once she uncovers the truth, it's all-out war, and while she has no problem giving her destructive temper free reign, she must channel her anger to thwart Cele, and save those she loves. Goddess help the evil High Priestess when Isis finally gets ahold of her. Braeden Hall, a cambion who needs sex to survive, finds himself in an impossible situation when his son is kidnapped by an insane High Priestess and held captive. To free him, Braeden thinks he's given a simple task of collecting information on a sexy female until the witch he is to manipulate ends up being the one female meant for him, his Fated Mate. He is ultimately forced to choose between loving Isis and protecting his son. He wants nothing more than to claim Isis for eternity, but that means his son will die. The precarious balance all cambions live with is threatened, and he fears becoming a full-blown sex demon who will rape and pillage without thought. Will he be able to overcome Isis' infamous temper and convince her to not only become his ally, but ultimately, his mate?
This was a mega quick read for me. I really like this series which is ever so similar to another popular series! I love to see these ancient species find their fated mates it’s a formula well used and enjoyable when done right! My only bug bear was the power of 3 comments as a huge Charmed fan it kinda drove me crazy! Fabulous for those fantasy fans that love some hot sex scenes with fated mates and lots of paranormal activity.
Kindle
Isis’ Betrayal ( Dark warrior alliance book4)
By Brenda Trim & Tami Julka
Isis Rowan is the fiery middle sister of the prophesized witch triplets, and when she finds out that the High Priestess Cele has not only attempted to kill her sister, but is also practicing dark magic and committing atrocious acts to gain power, she is ready to chop off some heads. To make matters worse, Cele has also targeted the gorgeous and sexy human-sex demon hybrid Braeden, who also happens to be her Fated Mate. Isis is ready to kick some ass, until she realizes that Braeden is not all that he seems. Once she uncovers the truth, it's all-out war, and while she has no problem giving her destructive temper free reign, she must channel her anger to thwart Cele, and save those she loves. Goddess help the evil High Priestess when Isis finally gets ahold of her. Braeden Hall, a cambion who needs sex to survive, finds himself in an impossible situation when his son is kidnapped by an insane High Priestess and held captive. To free him, Braeden thinks he's given a simple task of collecting information on a sexy female until the witch he is to manipulate ends up being the one female meant for him, his Fated Mate. He is ultimately forced to choose between loving Isis and protecting his son. He wants nothing more than to claim Isis for eternity, but that means his son will die. The precarious balance all cambions live with is threatened, and he fears becoming a full-blown sex demon who will rape and pillage without thought. Will he be able to overcome Isis' infamous temper and convince her to not only become his ally, but ultimately, his mate?
This was a mega quick read for me. I really like this series which is ever so similar to another popular series! I love to see these ancient species find their fated mates it’s a formula well used and enjoyable when done right! My only bug bear was the power of 3 comments as a huge Charmed fan it kinda drove me crazy! Fabulous for those fantasy fans that love some hot sex scenes with fated mates and lots of paranormal activity.