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Antonio Banderas recommended Lawrence of Arabia (1962) in Movies (curated)
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Zombies Vs. Unicorns in Books
Feb 15, 2019
<b>Book Review</b>
I had heard about this feud soon after it started, so when news that a book was coming out I had to read it. C'mon, zombies and unicorns, this is a combination I couldn't miss out on. After a lackluster and disappointing start, with many stories I didn't like at all, I was starting to think I'd have a hard time finishing the book, even with the different authors. It wasn't until The Children of the Revolution by Maureen Johnson on page 147 that the stories picked up and I ended up enjoying the rest, though my enjoyment deviated from okay to great. The "arguments" between editors Holly Black (Team Unicorn) and Justine Larbalestier (Team Zombie) were usually quite amusing, though they themselves don't contribute to the book. I, for one, would have liked to have read their takes on their chosen teams.
I'm not going to review each story individually, but list them with my (very) basic impression of the story. The book has varying degrees of gore, cursing, sexual innuendo and references, bestiality (you read that right, but it's more referred to than shown, thank goodness), suicide, and other violent acts.
<u>Stories</u> (in order of appearance):
*The Highest Justice by Garth Nix (Marked as a unicorn story, this is actually both unicorn and zombie. A decent story.)
*Love Will Tear Us Apart by Alaya Dawn Johnson (Zombie. Did not care for this at all)
*Purity Test by Naomi Novik (Unicorn. Didn't hate this story, but wasn't fond of it either)
*Bougainvillea by Carrie Ryan (Zombie. Didn't like.)
*A Thousand Flowers by Margo Lanagan (Unicorn. Also wasn't fond of.)
*The Children of the Revolution by Maureen Johnson (Zombie. Rather twisted, but so am I, so I enjoyed it.)
*The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn by Diana Peterfreund (Unicorn. My favorite story in the anthology.)
*Inoculata by Scott Westerfield (Zombie. Pretty good.)
*Princess Prettypants by Meg Cabot (Unicorn. Very tongue-in-cheek, I liked this story a lot.)
*Cold Hands by Cassandra Clare (Zombie. Interesting world created here. Definitely passed my likability test.)
*The Third Virgin by Kathleen Duey (Unicorn. An okay story.)
*Prom Night by Libba Bray (Zombie. Second favorite of the book and very close to a tie with Peterfreund's tale.)
The unicorn stories went in many different directions, with all sorts of unicorns, while most of the zombie stories stayed where you would expect them and had typical zombies, though there were a few surprises still in store. I went into this as Team Zombie, and while my favorite was a unicorn story, I still firmly remain with the shamblers. Overall, I ended up enjoying the majority of the book, so if you're interested in zombies, unicorns, or especially both, pick this up for an interesting assortment of stories.
3.5 stars for the print version
<b>Audio Review</b>
This unabridged CD set includes ten discs, which average a little over one story each, though generally there is one whole story bookended by the end of one preceding it and the start of another afterward that will continue onto the next disc. They have very short chapters, generally less than a minute and I could tell when each chapter ended and the next began, which didn't make for totally smooth listening but it also wasn't too bad either. I would have rather have had longer chapters that had a clearer starting and stopping point to make it easier to find my place again. Most of the readers, both male and female, sound fairly young, which makes sense since this is a YA anthology, but the majority also sounded as if they were reading to school children, which makes for annoying listening. I found most of the voices grating and unfortunately none of them are named for me to be more specific. However, the one male was fine and the woman who did Diana Peterfreund was good and I believe she also narrated one or two others in the book. The use of sound effects break up stories, a groan that also says "brains" for zombies and trumpets and a horse whinny for unicorns. Immediately after is the intro from the editors with their ongoing debate that became increasingly irritating as I read on; this may have to do with how they performed those discussions. As written word, these exchanges are far more entertaining. For the most part, I really didn't enjoy listening to this and much prefer reading it in print.
2 stars for audio
I had heard about this feud soon after it started, so when news that a book was coming out I had to read it. C'mon, zombies and unicorns, this is a combination I couldn't miss out on. After a lackluster and disappointing start, with many stories I didn't like at all, I was starting to think I'd have a hard time finishing the book, even with the different authors. It wasn't until The Children of the Revolution by Maureen Johnson on page 147 that the stories picked up and I ended up enjoying the rest, though my enjoyment deviated from okay to great. The "arguments" between editors Holly Black (Team Unicorn) and Justine Larbalestier (Team Zombie) were usually quite amusing, though they themselves don't contribute to the book. I, for one, would have liked to have read their takes on their chosen teams.
I'm not going to review each story individually, but list them with my (very) basic impression of the story. The book has varying degrees of gore, cursing, sexual innuendo and references, bestiality (you read that right, but it's more referred to than shown, thank goodness), suicide, and other violent acts.
<u>Stories</u> (in order of appearance):
*The Highest Justice by Garth Nix (Marked as a unicorn story, this is actually both unicorn and zombie. A decent story.)
*Love Will Tear Us Apart by Alaya Dawn Johnson (Zombie. Did not care for this at all)
*Purity Test by Naomi Novik (Unicorn. Didn't hate this story, but wasn't fond of it either)
*Bougainvillea by Carrie Ryan (Zombie. Didn't like.)
*A Thousand Flowers by Margo Lanagan (Unicorn. Also wasn't fond of.)
*The Children of the Revolution by Maureen Johnson (Zombie. Rather twisted, but so am I, so I enjoyed it.)
*The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn by Diana Peterfreund (Unicorn. My favorite story in the anthology.)
*Inoculata by Scott Westerfield (Zombie. Pretty good.)
*Princess Prettypants by Meg Cabot (Unicorn. Very tongue-in-cheek, I liked this story a lot.)
*Cold Hands by Cassandra Clare (Zombie. Interesting world created here. Definitely passed my likability test.)
*The Third Virgin by Kathleen Duey (Unicorn. An okay story.)
*Prom Night by Libba Bray (Zombie. Second favorite of the book and very close to a tie with Peterfreund's tale.)
The unicorn stories went in many different directions, with all sorts of unicorns, while most of the zombie stories stayed where you would expect them and had typical zombies, though there were a few surprises still in store. I went into this as Team Zombie, and while my favorite was a unicorn story, I still firmly remain with the shamblers. Overall, I ended up enjoying the majority of the book, so if you're interested in zombies, unicorns, or especially both, pick this up for an interesting assortment of stories.
3.5 stars for the print version
<b>Audio Review</b>
This unabridged CD set includes ten discs, which average a little over one story each, though generally there is one whole story bookended by the end of one preceding it and the start of another afterward that will continue onto the next disc. They have very short chapters, generally less than a minute and I could tell when each chapter ended and the next began, which didn't make for totally smooth listening but it also wasn't too bad either. I would have rather have had longer chapters that had a clearer starting and stopping point to make it easier to find my place again. Most of the readers, both male and female, sound fairly young, which makes sense since this is a YA anthology, but the majority also sounded as if they were reading to school children, which makes for annoying listening. I found most of the voices grating and unfortunately none of them are named for me to be more specific. However, the one male was fine and the woman who did Diana Peterfreund was good and I believe she also narrated one or two others in the book. The use of sound effects break up stories, a groan that also says "brains" for zombies and trumpets and a horse whinny for unicorns. Immediately after is the intro from the editors with their ongoing debate that became increasingly irritating as I read on; this may have to do with how they performed those discussions. As written word, these exchanges are far more entertaining. For the most part, I really didn't enjoy listening to this and much prefer reading it in print.
2 stars for audio
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Encouragement Letters in Books
Oct 3, 2018
The plot (2 more)
The characters
The educational lesson
An Uplifting Read
When I read the synopsis for The Encouragement Letters by Shanna Spence, I was intrigued. The cover also drew my attention. I lived in England for over 6 years which is another reason I wanted to read this book. I love all things England! When I got the opportunity to review it, I jumped at the chance!
I found the pacing to be perfect in The Encouragement Letters. This is a middle grade read, and Miss Spence sets the pacing perfectly for that age group. Never once did I feel like the book was too fast or too slow for young readers. I also feel the length of the book was perfect for the age group it targets.
I enjoyed the plot of The Encouragement Letters very much. It was interesting to read about Will's struggles and how he was overcoming them. I loved reading about how kind everyone was to each other. It was as if everyone was one big family. Everyone would help each other out, and that was very encouraging. It was interesting and uplifting to read about Will overcoming his challenges and not becoming a victim of circumstance even when that would have been the easiest thing to do. Reading about how Will was trying to lift everyone up in hard times with his encouragement letters truly was heartwarming. There are no plot twists in this book, but it doesn't need plot twists as it's not that kind of book. All of my questions were answered in the book. There are no cliff hangers whatsoever which was great.
The world building was done very well. Although written in third person, The Encouragement Letters is told through the eyes of 11 year old Will. I feel that Shanna Spence did a fantastic job making it seem as if a real 11 year old is telling the story. Miss Spence also does a great job making you feel as if you are involved with everything going on. Her use of language is profound. A few of the characters' accents were written exactly as they speak. I loved this! This made it that much more realistic. I also loved the Yorkshire dialect guide at the beginning of the book. Shanna Spence does a great job educating and making her readers feel like they are experiencing the Industrial Revolution in England first hand.
I loved every character in The Encouragement Letters. They all felt very real and fleshed out. Will was such a sweet boy as I mentioned earlier. I admired his work ethic and how empathetic he was even at such a young age. I loved all the shop workers and how caring they were towards Will always giving him extra food, scraps of leather, or whatever they had left over. Mary Beth was a character who also stood out to me. I enjoyed when she was mentioned. Maybe it's because I felt like I could relate to her. Like all of the characters in The Encouragement Letters, she had a strong work ethic and was so kind to Will. I thought it was cute how Will seemed to have a bit of a crush on her.
As this is a middle grade read, there aren't many trigger warnings. There is talk of death (Will's father had passed away a year prior when the novel starts) as well as sickness (Will's mother is sick throughout the book, and Will looks after her. There's one scene of violence (Will gets punched in the face), but it is not very graphic and is described in an age appropriate manner.
Overall, The Encouragement Letters is a very inspiring and uplifting novel. The characters are all so kind and have great work ethics, and the book is somewhat educational with describing how life was like during the Industrial Revolution in England. I would definitely recommend The Encouragement Letters by Shanna Spence to those 9+ who need some encouragement or who just love reading uplifting novels. Actually, I'd just recommend this to every and all people who are 9 years and older! This book gets a solid 5 out of 5 stars from me!
(Thank you to the author for providing me with a paperback of this title for a review on a blog tour I am doing in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
I found the pacing to be perfect in The Encouragement Letters. This is a middle grade read, and Miss Spence sets the pacing perfectly for that age group. Never once did I feel like the book was too fast or too slow for young readers. I also feel the length of the book was perfect for the age group it targets.
I enjoyed the plot of The Encouragement Letters very much. It was interesting to read about Will's struggles and how he was overcoming them. I loved reading about how kind everyone was to each other. It was as if everyone was one big family. Everyone would help each other out, and that was very encouraging. It was interesting and uplifting to read about Will overcoming his challenges and not becoming a victim of circumstance even when that would have been the easiest thing to do. Reading about how Will was trying to lift everyone up in hard times with his encouragement letters truly was heartwarming. There are no plot twists in this book, but it doesn't need plot twists as it's not that kind of book. All of my questions were answered in the book. There are no cliff hangers whatsoever which was great.
The world building was done very well. Although written in third person, The Encouragement Letters is told through the eyes of 11 year old Will. I feel that Shanna Spence did a fantastic job making it seem as if a real 11 year old is telling the story. Miss Spence also does a great job making you feel as if you are involved with everything going on. Her use of language is profound. A few of the characters' accents were written exactly as they speak. I loved this! This made it that much more realistic. I also loved the Yorkshire dialect guide at the beginning of the book. Shanna Spence does a great job educating and making her readers feel like they are experiencing the Industrial Revolution in England first hand.
I loved every character in The Encouragement Letters. They all felt very real and fleshed out. Will was such a sweet boy as I mentioned earlier. I admired his work ethic and how empathetic he was even at such a young age. I loved all the shop workers and how caring they were towards Will always giving him extra food, scraps of leather, or whatever they had left over. Mary Beth was a character who also stood out to me. I enjoyed when she was mentioned. Maybe it's because I felt like I could relate to her. Like all of the characters in The Encouragement Letters, she had a strong work ethic and was so kind to Will. I thought it was cute how Will seemed to have a bit of a crush on her.
As this is a middle grade read, there aren't many trigger warnings. There is talk of death (Will's father had passed away a year prior when the novel starts) as well as sickness (Will's mother is sick throughout the book, and Will looks after her. There's one scene of violence (Will gets punched in the face), but it is not very graphic and is described in an age appropriate manner.
Overall, The Encouragement Letters is a very inspiring and uplifting novel. The characters are all so kind and have great work ethics, and the book is somewhat educational with describing how life was like during the Industrial Revolution in England. I would definitely recommend The Encouragement Letters by Shanna Spence to those 9+ who need some encouragement or who just love reading uplifting novels. Actually, I'd just recommend this to every and all people who are 9 years and older! This book gets a solid 5 out of 5 stars from me!
(Thank you to the author for providing me with a paperback of this title for a review on a blog tour I am doing in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Red Queen in Books
May 16, 2018
Earlier today, I finished listening to the audiobook of Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard and I absolutely loved it. Amanda Dolan is also an excellent narrator, with a pleasant voice and a perfect pace.
Red Queen takes place in the country of Norta, one of many lands where every day people like Mare Barrow (humans, like us) face oppression from the elite. In a story that echoes the fight for equality, readers are carried along for the ride as Mare, whose blood is red, strives to bring equality to her people when a mishap and mutation put her in the lap of good fortune. The Silvers, or the elite, rule the Reds, and though they look much the same as a normal human, their blood is silver and they have special abilities. It is because of these abilities that they hold themselves superior to the far weaker Reds, forcing them into a life of submission and servitude.
With her new responsibilities, Mare finds herself caught up in a revolution – one where you can expect betrayal at any point. Aveyard’s characters are written in such a believable way that it is difficult to pinpoint their true natures. In the same manner that one might say beauty is only skin deep, the characters of Red Queen all wear masks – or do they?
Many books lose me when there is a lull in the plot. Oftentimes if I feel like I have to force-feed myself several pages, I am far less likely to finish the book. I am also more likely to be lost if the major plot is romance oriented, rather than conflict. While Red Queen does have some elements of romance, there’s never any definite answer as to who gets the girl (I suppose that’s something we’ll see in the later books), and that’s because Mare’s focus is solely on herself, her loved ones, and the cause for which she serves. The main function of the book is to tell the story of the Reds rising up against the Silvers, rather than focus on a forbidden romance, like many of the young adult books I’ve read have done.
I can’t wait for it to be my turn with Glass Sword, the second book in the series. Red Queen has also been optioned for a film, so here’s to hoping it’s at least somewhat as good as the book.
Red Queen takes place in the country of Norta, one of many lands where every day people like Mare Barrow (humans, like us) face oppression from the elite. In a story that echoes the fight for equality, readers are carried along for the ride as Mare, whose blood is red, strives to bring equality to her people when a mishap and mutation put her in the lap of good fortune. The Silvers, or the elite, rule the Reds, and though they look much the same as a normal human, their blood is silver and they have special abilities. It is because of these abilities that they hold themselves superior to the far weaker Reds, forcing them into a life of submission and servitude.
With her new responsibilities, Mare finds herself caught up in a revolution – one where you can expect betrayal at any point. Aveyard’s characters are written in such a believable way that it is difficult to pinpoint their true natures. In the same manner that one might say beauty is only skin deep, the characters of Red Queen all wear masks – or do they?
Many books lose me when there is a lull in the plot. Oftentimes if I feel like I have to force-feed myself several pages, I am far less likely to finish the book. I am also more likely to be lost if the major plot is romance oriented, rather than conflict. While Red Queen does have some elements of romance, there’s never any definite answer as to who gets the girl (I suppose that’s something we’ll see in the later books), and that’s because Mare’s focus is solely on herself, her loved ones, and the cause for which she serves. The main function of the book is to tell the story of the Reds rising up against the Silvers, rather than focus on a forbidden romance, like many of the young adult books I’ve read have done.
I can’t wait for it to be my turn with Glass Sword, the second book in the series. Red Queen has also been optioned for a film, so here’s to hoping it’s at least somewhat as good as the book.
RəX Regent (349 KP) rated V for Vendetta (2005) in Movies
Mar 7, 2019
Missed the point... Ponderously
Contains spoilers, click to show
"BOLLOCKS!" This is the standard British insult which is banded about by the stereotypical characters as perceived by our American cousins. Or is this a succinct review of the film? Alan Moore, more famously known for Watchmen, was the original author of the graphic novel of the same name, which was published between 1982 and '85 and then later reprinted in full by DC comics, had his name removed during production. The Brothers Wachowski, of The Matrix fame, a seminal film, penned the adaptation and did so without truly understanding the source.
We ended up with a dull, overly bombastic and ponderous take on a much more subversive novel, with stereotypical fascist villains, shown to have taken power by releasing a virus upon the country's population, rather than the comic's thesis on the apathetic voters, legitimately electing them.
This is Hollywood does Britain, and as usual, they got it wrong. This is a sci-fi fantasy, where the hero/terrorist dons a Guy Fawkes mask and romantically spreads revolution across the country. But Hugo Weaving's ranting, good though he always is, is just boring and overblown. He is a Nutter and not in the good sense. I don't understand what gives him the right to blow up Parliament for us? I think that he's the other side of the same coin; a dictator in his own right. Is this the point? Maybe, but that point is lost when the film is trying to walk the fine line between epic political film-making with an edge, and a major comic book adaptation by the creators of the revolutionary Matrix. Though, the ill-conceived sequels should have served as a warning to us all as to what to expect from this project.
When I first watched this, I thought it was okay, but on repeat viewings it just continues to fall further and further down in my estimation. Boring, contrived, and misconceived. The Brothers Grimm Wachowski need to rethink their strategy and their role in the business and they are in no way, shape or form serious filmmakers. They have a fantastic and they did have a revolutionary view of cinematography, but as for being deep and meaningful writers... more ponderous and self absorbed than anything else.
We ended up with a dull, overly bombastic and ponderous take on a much more subversive novel, with stereotypical fascist villains, shown to have taken power by releasing a virus upon the country's population, rather than the comic's thesis on the apathetic voters, legitimately electing them.
This is Hollywood does Britain, and as usual, they got it wrong. This is a sci-fi fantasy, where the hero/terrorist dons a Guy Fawkes mask and romantically spreads revolution across the country. But Hugo Weaving's ranting, good though he always is, is just boring and overblown. He is a Nutter and not in the good sense. I don't understand what gives him the right to blow up Parliament for us? I think that he's the other side of the same coin; a dictator in his own right. Is this the point? Maybe, but that point is lost when the film is trying to walk the fine line between epic political film-making with an edge, and a major comic book adaptation by the creators of the revolutionary Matrix. Though, the ill-conceived sequels should have served as a warning to us all as to what to expect from this project.
When I first watched this, I thought it was okay, but on repeat viewings it just continues to fall further and further down in my estimation. Boring, contrived, and misconceived. The Brothers Grimm Wachowski need to rethink their strategy and their role in the business and they are in no way, shape or form serious filmmakers. They have a fantastic and they did have a revolutionary view of cinematography, but as for being deep and meaningful writers... more ponderous and self absorbed than anything else.
Ross (3282 KP) rated Smoke and Summons in Books
Mar 18, 2019 (Updated Mar 18, 2019)
Flintlock Tangled
It took me a while to realise, but this book is basically a re-telling of Tangled, the Rapunzel Disney film.
We have the young girl with magical powers who is held prisoner (though she has been trained to appreciate her captor's benevolence) by someone wanting to benefit from her powers. She meets a ne'er-do-well thief looking for that one last score before he can move and settle down. They travel together trying to find somewhere safe for her to go but are tracked down at all stops, until finally the male protagonist is persuaded to hand her in and reap the rewards, before the inevitable emotional rescue.
Rather than magical healing hair, however, Sandis has the ability to act as a vessel to demons, and is linked to a specific one (a fire horse). Her captor, Kazen, uses her abilities to bolster his gangster crew and lead the city's underworld. Upon sensing Kazen's desire to summon a more powerful demon (which is likely to kill her) she escapes and becomes embroiled with Rone, a young thief.
Together they try to track down a family member Sandis has become aware of, who may be able to help save her.
The story flows quite well, with enough strength in the main characters to engage the reader. Their travails, and Kazen's crew's neverending chase, are enjoyable and thrilling.
The narrative is good, swapping between Sandis' and Rone's perspectives and telling of their increasing tiredness and running out of options. At times, the author's American tone slips in (words like "Mom", "they were a ways from their lodgings" etc), which would normally be fine, I'm not that big of a snob, but it really comes at odds with the majority of the narrative and does stand out.
The setting is more early industrial revolution than more medieval, so there is the use of firearms to spice up the action.
A few times, events become a little hard to accept - quite how quickly and persistently Kazen's goons catch up with them, and how easily Rone manages to accomplish his rescue seem quite hard to believe.
Overall, the story is good and while the format of "lets go here, oh they've somehow found us again" becomes a little tiring, the book is short enough for this not to be too much of an issue.
We have the young girl with magical powers who is held prisoner (though she has been trained to appreciate her captor's benevolence) by someone wanting to benefit from her powers. She meets a ne'er-do-well thief looking for that one last score before he can move and settle down. They travel together trying to find somewhere safe for her to go but are tracked down at all stops, until finally the male protagonist is persuaded to hand her in and reap the rewards, before the inevitable emotional rescue.
Rather than magical healing hair, however, Sandis has the ability to act as a vessel to demons, and is linked to a specific one (a fire horse). Her captor, Kazen, uses her abilities to bolster his gangster crew and lead the city's underworld. Upon sensing Kazen's desire to summon a more powerful demon (which is likely to kill her) she escapes and becomes embroiled with Rone, a young thief.
Together they try to track down a family member Sandis has become aware of, who may be able to help save her.
The story flows quite well, with enough strength in the main characters to engage the reader. Their travails, and Kazen's crew's neverending chase, are enjoyable and thrilling.
The narrative is good, swapping between Sandis' and Rone's perspectives and telling of their increasing tiredness and running out of options. At times, the author's American tone slips in (words like "Mom", "they were a ways from their lodgings" etc), which would normally be fine, I'm not that big of a snob, but it really comes at odds with the majority of the narrative and does stand out.
The setting is more early industrial revolution than more medieval, so there is the use of firearms to spice up the action.
A few times, events become a little hard to accept - quite how quickly and persistently Kazen's goons catch up with them, and how easily Rone manages to accomplish his rescue seem quite hard to believe.
Overall, the story is good and while the format of "lets go here, oh they've somehow found us again" becomes a little tiring, the book is short enough for this not to be too much of an issue.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Kingdom Beyond the Waves in Books
Nov 18, 2019
Professor Amelia Harsh is a discredited academic, shunned by any university she could work for because of her obsession for the lost city of Camlantis which is dismissed by most as a myth. When all her other avenues dry up she grabs a lifeline from a rich industrialist to lead an expedition to find the last evidence of the city.
Meanwhile, why is someone graverobbing obsolete steamman corpses from cemetaries? And why has Furnace-breath Nick - scourge of Quatershift - been asked to break a prisoner free?
For those unfamiliar with Hunt's incredibly imaginative world - revealed in this book to likely be a far future version of our own which somehow mirrors certain aspects such as Victorian England and the French Revolution - would soon be at home in this book, particularly as half of the book involves a trip up a native-infested jungle river worthy of Conrad. Meanwhile the trail is being followed from the other end and the smoggy streets of Middlesteel in the country of Jackals by Furnace-breath Nick's not so mild mannered alter ego, Cornelius Fortune.
The way the story unfolds is very reminiscent of Saturday morning serials that used to be popular when not everyone had a television. There are a series of episodes where our heroes are put into peril and yet somehow (mostly) break free. The difference is in the mostly. Hunt is not afraid of killing off a character and that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat and turning the pages to see if that really was the end or there is a miraculous escape on the cards.
The inventiveness Hunt showed in The Court of the Air is very much still evident with a fiendish plot and fantastic ideas zinging off the page together with very clever dialog. Once again this is a book to read carefully and not to skim, it will be so much more rewarding.
All in all this is a stronger book than the first and the characters in it are terrific, heroes and villains alike. There are still Deus Ex Machina escapes here and there but they are on the whole consistent with the world of Jackals.
I would very much recommend this to anyone who likes their science fiction broad and heading to steam punk rather than space opera (although it's not really steam punk) and their adventure old-school swashbuckling. Terrific work.
Meanwhile, why is someone graverobbing obsolete steamman corpses from cemetaries? And why has Furnace-breath Nick - scourge of Quatershift - been asked to break a prisoner free?
For those unfamiliar with Hunt's incredibly imaginative world - revealed in this book to likely be a far future version of our own which somehow mirrors certain aspects such as Victorian England and the French Revolution - would soon be at home in this book, particularly as half of the book involves a trip up a native-infested jungle river worthy of Conrad. Meanwhile the trail is being followed from the other end and the smoggy streets of Middlesteel in the country of Jackals by Furnace-breath Nick's not so mild mannered alter ego, Cornelius Fortune.
The way the story unfolds is very reminiscent of Saturday morning serials that used to be popular when not everyone had a television. There are a series of episodes where our heroes are put into peril and yet somehow (mostly) break free. The difference is in the mostly. Hunt is not afraid of killing off a character and that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat and turning the pages to see if that really was the end or there is a miraculous escape on the cards.
The inventiveness Hunt showed in The Court of the Air is very much still evident with a fiendish plot and fantastic ideas zinging off the page together with very clever dialog. Once again this is a book to read carefully and not to skim, it will be so much more rewarding.
All in all this is a stronger book than the first and the characters in it are terrific, heroes and villains alike. There are still Deus Ex Machina escapes here and there but they are on the whole consistent with the world of Jackals.
I would very much recommend this to anyone who likes their science fiction broad and heading to steam punk rather than space opera (although it's not really steam punk) and their adventure old-school swashbuckling. Terrific work.
ClareR (5603 KP) rated The Bastille Spy in Books
Aug 1, 2019 (Updated Aug 1, 2019)
A very enjoyable historical spy adventure!
England’s best spy, in this novel set in only just pre-Revolution Paris (1789), is Attica Morgan. Yes, in a time where a woman was deemed to be the fairer, weaker sex, Attica is a ruthless, all-action spy in His Majesty’s Government. And I loved her.
I’ve no idea how likely this would have been, and largely speaking, I don’t actually care. This book is non-stop action, as Attica is asked to investigate the murder of a rebel in the Bastille. She sees how dangerous Paris is becoming, and how the French royal family really don’t care about their poorer subjects. Attica teams up with a Privateer/ Pirate to complete her mission - and I found myself wondering (and hoping - see point 2):
1. When the next book will be coming out*, and
2. Will he be in it!
*for the record, I know that this book has only just released, and I’m firmly of the opinion that authors should take as long as they want/ need to take over writing their books. Can’t help but want to see more of these fabulous characters though!
Attica’s backstory is fascinating: the bastard daughter of a British nobleman who has escaped from slavery, educated and brought up as a Lady, she is expected to marry to her family’s advantage (or to that of the Crown). Attica doesn’t really like playing by the rules though, and trains to be a spy - which sounds brutal, but prepares her for some pretty risky missions.
The French people generally, whether Royalists or Republicans, don’t come off terribly well. The Republicans all seem to be pretty bloodthirsty and immoral, the Royalists are ‘just’ immoral. So, happy days (I should also say here that I know lots of lovely French people who are neither immoral or bloodthirsty. Just to make that clear 😉)!
Have I said how much I liked this book? Because I really did. If you want a fun, exciting, historical fiction novel, then this will be right up your street. I’m definitely putting this in my ‘Look out for the next in the series’ watchlist (yes, I really do have one of those).
Many thanks to Jellybooks who provided me with a copy of this book to read and review all the way back in April 2019! I’ve had to try very hard to keep this under my hat since then!
I’ve no idea how likely this would have been, and largely speaking, I don’t actually care. This book is non-stop action, as Attica is asked to investigate the murder of a rebel in the Bastille. She sees how dangerous Paris is becoming, and how the French royal family really don’t care about their poorer subjects. Attica teams up with a Privateer/ Pirate to complete her mission - and I found myself wondering (and hoping - see point 2):
1. When the next book will be coming out*, and
2. Will he be in it!
*for the record, I know that this book has only just released, and I’m firmly of the opinion that authors should take as long as they want/ need to take over writing their books. Can’t help but want to see more of these fabulous characters though!
Attica’s backstory is fascinating: the bastard daughter of a British nobleman who has escaped from slavery, educated and brought up as a Lady, she is expected to marry to her family’s advantage (or to that of the Crown). Attica doesn’t really like playing by the rules though, and trains to be a spy - which sounds brutal, but prepares her for some pretty risky missions.
The French people generally, whether Royalists or Republicans, don’t come off terribly well. The Republicans all seem to be pretty bloodthirsty and immoral, the Royalists are ‘just’ immoral. So, happy days (I should also say here that I know lots of lovely French people who are neither immoral or bloodthirsty. Just to make that clear 😉)!
Have I said how much I liked this book? Because I really did. If you want a fun, exciting, historical fiction novel, then this will be right up your street. I’m definitely putting this in my ‘Look out for the next in the series’ watchlist (yes, I really do have one of those).
Many thanks to Jellybooks who provided me with a copy of this book to read and review all the way back in April 2019! I’ve had to try very hard to keep this under my hat since then!
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Mr. Peabody and Sherman were first introduced to the world via the
1950s-1960s legendary kids cartoon "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show." Mr.
Peabody (Ty Burell), a Nobel prize winning brainiac canine, whose
intelligence is beyond that of any human being; there is nothing this
Beagle cannot do. He was able to put his brilliant mind to use and adopt
a young boy named Sherman (Max Charles) and he also invents a time
travelling machine he calls the WABAC (pronounced way-back). He uses the
WABAC as a teaching tool by travelling back in time with Sherman to
experience some of the most famous moments in history.
On Sherman's first day school, he finds that some of the history lessons
being taught in school were not accurate to how the events actually took
place. Remember, he traveled in time and witnessed it all first hand.
Sherman finds himself clashing with his classmate Penny (Ariel Winter),
who spends most of her time teasing and bullying Sherman for 'knowing too
much' and for being raised by a dog. In an attempt to bring peace among
Sherman's classmates and to also avoid the impending threat from child
services who would like nothing more than to prove that a dog does not have
the right to raise human child, Mr. Peabody invites Penny and her parents
over to their home for dinner. Sherman tries to impress Penny by breaking
Mr. Peabody's rules and introduces Penny to the WABAC. Nothing good comes
of two kids travelling in time and disrupting the space time continuum.
Enter Mr. Peabody, who uses the WABAC to try and rectify the disruptions
that were caused by Penny and Sherman's adventure through time.
This movie is not the story of "man's best friend!" It is geared more
towards the father-son relationship. A very likeable film that brings us
back to some significant moments in history, such as Leonardo DaVinci's
painting of the Mona Lisa, the Trojan War, the time when King Tut ruled
Ancient Egypt, and the French Revolution. In true Dreamwork fashion, there
was just the perfect of amount of humor for kids and adults alike to
enjoy. What sets this movie apart from others is its ability to embrace
education as an adventure and how it challenges the 'traditional' family
stereotype and that love can be found in all creatures and at any time.
4 out of 5 stars.
1950s-1960s legendary kids cartoon "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show." Mr.
Peabody (Ty Burell), a Nobel prize winning brainiac canine, whose
intelligence is beyond that of any human being; there is nothing this
Beagle cannot do. He was able to put his brilliant mind to use and adopt
a young boy named Sherman (Max Charles) and he also invents a time
travelling machine he calls the WABAC (pronounced way-back). He uses the
WABAC as a teaching tool by travelling back in time with Sherman to
experience some of the most famous moments in history.
On Sherman's first day school, he finds that some of the history lessons
being taught in school were not accurate to how the events actually took
place. Remember, he traveled in time and witnessed it all first hand.
Sherman finds himself clashing with his classmate Penny (Ariel Winter),
who spends most of her time teasing and bullying Sherman for 'knowing too
much' and for being raised by a dog. In an attempt to bring peace among
Sherman's classmates and to also avoid the impending threat from child
services who would like nothing more than to prove that a dog does not have
the right to raise human child, Mr. Peabody invites Penny and her parents
over to their home for dinner. Sherman tries to impress Penny by breaking
Mr. Peabody's rules and introduces Penny to the WABAC. Nothing good comes
of two kids travelling in time and disrupting the space time continuum.
Enter Mr. Peabody, who uses the WABAC to try and rectify the disruptions
that were caused by Penny and Sherman's adventure through time.
This movie is not the story of "man's best friend!" It is geared more
towards the father-son relationship. A very likeable film that brings us
back to some significant moments in history, such as Leonardo DaVinci's
painting of the Mona Lisa, the Trojan War, the time when King Tut ruled
Ancient Egypt, and the French Revolution. In true Dreamwork fashion, there
was just the perfect of amount of humor for kids and adults alike to
enjoy. What sets this movie apart from others is its ability to embrace
education as an adventure and how it challenges the 'traditional' family
stereotype and that love can be found in all creatures and at any time.
4 out of 5 stars.
Ross (3282 KP) rated A Little Hatred in Books
Oct 1, 2019
The latest instalment in the world of the First Law is the start of Abercrombie's new series - The Age of Madness. The story take place some 30 years after the events of the First Law trilogy, and we are deep into that world's industrial revolution. Across the Union, tradesmen are being rendered obsolete by technological advancement. Savine dan Glokta, the daughter of the shining, shitty star of the First Law trilogy, has made her fortune by investing in such innovations and mercilessly milking their genius inventors for every mark of profit. Half of the story follows her on a trip to oversee the running of one of her investments, a trip which soon descends into riot, hostage-taking and a general shit-storm.
The rest of the story takes place in the North, where those Northmen are, once more, kicking up a fuss and trying to reclaim their land from the Union. These chapters focus on Rikke, the dogman's daughter, and Leo dan Brock, the Young Lion, as they fight against Black Calder and his crew.
Yes, this really is "First Law: The Next Generation". With very few exceptions, the main characters here are all the descendants of characters from the previous trilogy. What I couldn't quite come to terms with was the fact that Caul Shivers and Bremer dan Gorst seemed to have aged significantly less than I might have expected (based purely on my impression of their ages in the earlier books and other characters now).
The battle with the Northmen was pretty much a boiled-down version of the Heroes, and not all that enjoyable. Rikke was a new feature which just about saved this from utter tedium.
There was one exceptional scene revolving around the riot that Savine found herself in. This scene changed from one perspective to another seamlessly, truly like a scene from a film. This long chapter was so engaging and immersive I couldn't leave it unfinished.
Abercrombie's writing and dialogue once again shine through as top of the class.
However, what held the book back for me were the pace of the opening third (so much character introduction and yet so much of it is left to the reader based on the previous books), and the bulk of the chapters in the North. The rest of the book really felt new and exciting and thrilling, those sections really just felt like old hat.
The rest of the story takes place in the North, where those Northmen are, once more, kicking up a fuss and trying to reclaim their land from the Union. These chapters focus on Rikke, the dogman's daughter, and Leo dan Brock, the Young Lion, as they fight against Black Calder and his crew.
Yes, this really is "First Law: The Next Generation". With very few exceptions, the main characters here are all the descendants of characters from the previous trilogy. What I couldn't quite come to terms with was the fact that Caul Shivers and Bremer dan Gorst seemed to have aged significantly less than I might have expected (based purely on my impression of their ages in the earlier books and other characters now).
The battle with the Northmen was pretty much a boiled-down version of the Heroes, and not all that enjoyable. Rikke was a new feature which just about saved this from utter tedium.
There was one exceptional scene revolving around the riot that Savine found herself in. This scene changed from one perspective to another seamlessly, truly like a scene from a film. This long chapter was so engaging and immersive I couldn't leave it unfinished.
Abercrombie's writing and dialogue once again shine through as top of the class.
However, what held the book back for me were the pace of the opening third (so much character introduction and yet so much of it is left to the reader based on the previous books), and the bulk of the chapters in the North. The rest of the book really felt new and exciting and thrilling, those sections really just felt like old hat.