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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Lockout (2012) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
In the later part of the 21st-century the worst criminals the planet has to offer are kept safely away from public in stasis aboard an orbiting prison known as MS: One. Although it is never explained in the film, it does not take a rocket scientist to guess that “MS” stands for Maximum Security and much like the rest of the movie “Lockout”, this is a film that does not aspire to be more than the sum of its heavily borrowed parts.
The film stars Guy Pearce as Snow, a special agent who has been wrongly accused in the killing of a high-ranking operative. Railroaded through the system, Snow is looking at a lengthy sentence.
At the same time, the presidents daughter Emily (Maggie Grace), has visited MS: One on a goodwill tour. One of her special causes is to confirm the truth that long-term stasis has damaging psychological and neurological effects for the prisoners. Since the prison is funded by a deep space research development she definitely sees conflict of interest in how prisoners are being treated.
Things take a turn for the worse when a violent prisoner goes off during his interview and proceeds to release pent-up inmate population and take the crew hostage. The prisoners run amok and for the time being are unaware that they had president’s daughter in their midst. Snow was given an ultimatum that the successful retrieval of the first daughter will help him avoid becoming a future resident of the orbiting prison.
Despite his misgivings, Snow accepts the assignment as he learns that one of his friends is incarcerated on board. This friend holds valuable information that can exonerates Snow from his charges. Once on board the station, Snow must battle mobs of psychopaths as he attempts to locate and rescue Emily.
While one would think this premise would hold plenty of excitement, thrills, and suspense, the film is essentially undone by its inability to sustain any real momentum for any developed and real tension.
While the prisoners do a great job of appearing menacing, torturing and killing the hostages, we really never learn of their true objective. At no time do they really make any serious demands for freedom, material goods, and so on which basically leaves them vulnerable to an all-out attack from the amassing forces around the prison.
One would think they would’ve asked for something as simple as pardons but they seem more interested in glaring threats to the president and the authorities via videoconference, not truly grasping the magnitude of their situation.
Pearce does a good job as the gruff Snow but sadly the script gives him very little to do other than smug one-liners and occasionally shoot the bad guys. Smith does show some spark and personality in her performance but she is given little to do aside from playing the damsel in distress although she doesn infuse the role with some strength and humor.
What really surprised me about the movie was even though it borrowed very heavily from Fortress 1 & 2 as well as an escape from New York, and have surprisingly little new to offer. It was clear that the intention was to create a diehard style film in space but unfortunately it fell relatively flat.
This was a huge surprise to me as one would think that Luc Besson and many of the creative talents that made “Taken” such a thrilling smash would have been able to come up with a better action film.
This is not to say that “Lockout” is a bad film more than it is a disappointment considering the premise, cast, and the potential that it had going for it.
I can certainly overlook plot holes, thinly crafted stock characters, and run-of-the-mill action sequences in my action films as long as they can get me some solid entertainment.
Sadly this is not the case and it plays out more like a direct to DVD release that’s certainly would be extremely welcome us and Netflix are red box rental but for my taste thanks to the lo-res and dated special effects did not warrant a major theatrical release.
The film stars Guy Pearce as Snow, a special agent who has been wrongly accused in the killing of a high-ranking operative. Railroaded through the system, Snow is looking at a lengthy sentence.
At the same time, the presidents daughter Emily (Maggie Grace), has visited MS: One on a goodwill tour. One of her special causes is to confirm the truth that long-term stasis has damaging psychological and neurological effects for the prisoners. Since the prison is funded by a deep space research development she definitely sees conflict of interest in how prisoners are being treated.
Things take a turn for the worse when a violent prisoner goes off during his interview and proceeds to release pent-up inmate population and take the crew hostage. The prisoners run amok and for the time being are unaware that they had president’s daughter in their midst. Snow was given an ultimatum that the successful retrieval of the first daughter will help him avoid becoming a future resident of the orbiting prison.
Despite his misgivings, Snow accepts the assignment as he learns that one of his friends is incarcerated on board. This friend holds valuable information that can exonerates Snow from his charges. Once on board the station, Snow must battle mobs of psychopaths as he attempts to locate and rescue Emily.
While one would think this premise would hold plenty of excitement, thrills, and suspense, the film is essentially undone by its inability to sustain any real momentum for any developed and real tension.
While the prisoners do a great job of appearing menacing, torturing and killing the hostages, we really never learn of their true objective. At no time do they really make any serious demands for freedom, material goods, and so on which basically leaves them vulnerable to an all-out attack from the amassing forces around the prison.
One would think they would’ve asked for something as simple as pardons but they seem more interested in glaring threats to the president and the authorities via videoconference, not truly grasping the magnitude of their situation.
Pearce does a good job as the gruff Snow but sadly the script gives him very little to do other than smug one-liners and occasionally shoot the bad guys. Smith does show some spark and personality in her performance but she is given little to do aside from playing the damsel in distress although she doesn infuse the role with some strength and humor.
What really surprised me about the movie was even though it borrowed very heavily from Fortress 1 & 2 as well as an escape from New York, and have surprisingly little new to offer. It was clear that the intention was to create a diehard style film in space but unfortunately it fell relatively flat.
This was a huge surprise to me as one would think that Luc Besson and many of the creative talents that made “Taken” such a thrilling smash would have been able to come up with a better action film.
This is not to say that “Lockout” is a bad film more than it is a disappointment considering the premise, cast, and the potential that it had going for it.
I can certainly overlook plot holes, thinly crafted stock characters, and run-of-the-mill action sequences in my action films as long as they can get me some solid entertainment.
Sadly this is not the case and it plays out more like a direct to DVD release that’s certainly would be extremely welcome us and Netflix are red box rental but for my taste thanks to the lo-res and dated special effects did not warrant a major theatrical release.
Several patterns for each month of the year (3 more)
Patterns range from retro, to modern, to classic
Beginners can learn how to embroider with detailed instructions and those who are experienced can pick up a few new tricks
Shows a variety of placement ideas, keeps you inspired to add designs to other places than framed art
Gorgeous patterns-For anyone who knows how to embroider and beginners like me!
I have been cross stitching for 30 years and learned how to punch needle 3 years ago. I have always wanted to learn the technique of embroidery. I love taking a piece of cloth and turning it into a piece of art but was always too intimidated to try my hand at embroidery. This week, I was able to put my fears aside when I received an ARC of A Year of Embroidery by Yumiko Higuchi from Netgalley.
A Year of Embroidery: A Month-To-Month Collection of Motifs for Seasonal Stitching, is a book which helped me get over the fear of embroidery and instilled a passion for learning!
My review is through the eyes of a beginner, but the book is for all levels of embroidery technique. I like that the book is not only chock full of patterns but helpful instruction and placement ideas, as well. The designs range from beautiful to whimsical and feature flowers, cacti, seashells, birds, people, reptiles, insects and animals. Each pattern also gives the DMC number for each floss the author used in her designs. Yumiko Higuchi made sure to include several designs for each month of the year, some with a retro feel and others with a more modern take on embroidery.
The ARC I received of this book is in a protected format and I am not able to make any of the patterns provided. With the wealth of information, A Year of Embroidery holds and the number of patterns I adore, this will be on my bookshelf as soon as it becomes available. I cannot wait to try my hand at this new needlecraft and hope that many others will enjoy it as much as I have.
I would like to thank the author, Yumiko Higuchi and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC for free in exchange for my honest review.
A Year of Embroidery: A Month-To-Month Collection of Motifs for Seasonal Stitching, is a book which helped me get over the fear of embroidery and instilled a passion for learning!
My review is through the eyes of a beginner, but the book is for all levels of embroidery technique. I like that the book is not only chock full of patterns but helpful instruction and placement ideas, as well. The designs range from beautiful to whimsical and feature flowers, cacti, seashells, birds, people, reptiles, insects and animals. Each pattern also gives the DMC number for each floss the author used in her designs. Yumiko Higuchi made sure to include several designs for each month of the year, some with a retro feel and others with a more modern take on embroidery.
The ARC I received of this book is in a protected format and I am not able to make any of the patterns provided. With the wealth of information, A Year of Embroidery holds and the number of patterns I adore, this will be on my bookshelf as soon as it becomes available. I cannot wait to try my hand at this new needlecraft and hope that many others will enjoy it as much as I have.
I would like to thank the author, Yumiko Higuchi and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC for free in exchange for my honest review.
Richard Hell recommended Kiss Me Deadly (2008) in Movies (curated)
Merissa (13169 KP) rated Conflicted (Secrets and Lies #1) in Books
Apr 14, 2023
Conflicted is the absolutely perfect title for this book because it not only describes the story but also how the reader will feel after reading it! According to Kindle, it was 385 pages which is a good story length but somehow it felt so much longer. This is probably because of the amount that happens in this story. It is full of twists and turns, characters turn out to be different to what you originally thought and the plot, well, take it from me that the baseline is a simple one but it gets very convoluted with all the goings on.
Mia is the main female and I couldn't quite come to grips with her. I understand that her world imploded and she felt an amazing amount of pain which no one should have to go through. I didn't like her way of 'coping' but also understand that everyone reacts differently. She seems like someone who is ruled by her body, which is completely different to what we were being told about her, which is one of the reasons I literally snorted out loud when Ethan says that he never thought of her as a 'party girl'. I'm sorry but in my book, someone who throws college parties most, if not every, weekend with loads of beer, drinks shots and wakes up with hangovers frequently, makes her quite the party girl!
Ethan is a whole new story. We don't learn much about him but he finds out quite a lot about Mia. Still waters definitely run deep with this one and I can't wait to find out more. I just hope he doesn't turn into a 'Hans' man.
Micah, Jackson, Shane, Bri - these are all secondary characters that still play a huge role in the book but I feel the surface has only been scratched with all of them. I am hoping it becomes clearer because there are still so many questions left unanswered.
This is the first book so there is a cliffhanger warning with this one!
On the whole, this was enjoyable and kept me reading. I am looking forward to reading book 2, Complicated.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 23, 2015
Mia is the main female and I couldn't quite come to grips with her. I understand that her world imploded and she felt an amazing amount of pain which no one should have to go through. I didn't like her way of 'coping' but also understand that everyone reacts differently. She seems like someone who is ruled by her body, which is completely different to what we were being told about her, which is one of the reasons I literally snorted out loud when Ethan says that he never thought of her as a 'party girl'. I'm sorry but in my book, someone who throws college parties most, if not every, weekend with loads of beer, drinks shots and wakes up with hangovers frequently, makes her quite the party girl!
Ethan is a whole new story. We don't learn much about him but he finds out quite a lot about Mia. Still waters definitely run deep with this one and I can't wait to find out more. I just hope he doesn't turn into a 'Hans' man.
Micah, Jackson, Shane, Bri - these are all secondary characters that still play a huge role in the book but I feel the surface has only been scratched with all of them. I am hoping it becomes clearer because there are still so many questions left unanswered.
This is the first book so there is a cliffhanger warning with this one!
On the whole, this was enjoyable and kept me reading. I am looking forward to reading book 2, Complicated.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 23, 2015
Merissa (13169 KP) rated Complicated (Secrets and Lies #2) in Books
Apr 14, 2023
As with book 1, Conflicted, the title of this book is absolutely spot on. It IS complicated, with more secrets, lies, twists and turns than you can shake a stick at. I appear to be having a love/hate relationship with these books because there are quite a few moments when I actually dislike what I'm reading but then it can all swing around at the drop of a hat. For myself, the majority of this book is a 3-star read. It's good, just not anything to shake your pom-poms about. But then, the last 10% of the book happened and wow, it was excellent! It blew me out of the water and I had tears, heart pounding and pulse racing issues whilst I read. It was definitely this portion of the book that upped it to a 4-star read for me.
Okay, so a bit about the characters now. Mia - I still can't get to grips with her. I don't particularly like hearing about her which makes the whole thing a bit difficult when it's written the way it is. Ethan - I actually liked him in the first book but I find myself not wanting them to be together more and more. Ethan spends most of this book making Mia feel guilty over lying to him when he is the one doing the same thing and more. You should not have to walk on eggshells around someone you love or be afraid to ask questions. Their relationship isn't healthy and I keep hoping that Mia will end up with Jackson, the playboy, who has an honest friendship with Mia that could turn into something else given the chance. Bri and Trey have their own hurdles to cross in this book but they tend to take the backseat to everything else.
A difficult book to read or review but I can still recommend it. It is certainly controversial enough to make it stand out from the crowd - you can decide if that's a good thing or not for yourself.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 28, 2015
Okay, so a bit about the characters now. Mia - I still can't get to grips with her. I don't particularly like hearing about her which makes the whole thing a bit difficult when it's written the way it is. Ethan - I actually liked him in the first book but I find myself not wanting them to be together more and more. Ethan spends most of this book making Mia feel guilty over lying to him when he is the one doing the same thing and more. You should not have to walk on eggshells around someone you love or be afraid to ask questions. Their relationship isn't healthy and I keep hoping that Mia will end up with Jackson, the playboy, who has an honest friendship with Mia that could turn into something else given the chance. Bri and Trey have their own hurdles to cross in this book but they tend to take the backseat to everything else.
A difficult book to read or review but I can still recommend it. It is certainly controversial enough to make it stand out from the crowd - you can decide if that's a good thing or not for yourself.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 28, 2015
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Military Wives (2020) in Movies
Feb 17, 2020
Even having just seen the trailer I knew I would cry at this, it's classic tear-fodder.
On-base life can be difficult for the wives and partners of soldiers serving abroad. Lisa has inherited the job of organising the wives while everyone is deployed but it's not an activity she's keen on, she'd rather just make it through to the other side and have her husband back. Luckily [though it seems anything but] for her Kate wants to take on a role in those duties, she's a veteran wide and has a very proper way of looking at how they should conduct themselves. The two women take an instant dislike for the other's attitude making life stressful in the social circle.
This doesn't change once they pick an activity the group are all interested in and they struggle to find a rhythm together. Can the pair separate their differences for the wellbeing of the group and each other?
Military Wives is something that we seem to be able to churn out consistently over here. You want an emotionally uplifting (while devastating) drama? The Brits have got you covered. I cried over Wild Rose, Finding Your Feet, Fisherman's Friends and Juliet, Naked, all have that similar quality to them that makes them a surprisingly comforting watch.
At the centre we focus on Kate and Lisa, both women are looking to forget and just get through it all for different reasons. The two are chalk and cheese and Kristin Scott Thomas and Sharon Horgan thrive in their roles against one another. You can feel the agony they both suffer with and yet it's quite difficult to sympathise with either when for most of the film they are quite dislikable.
Even when we see Lisa interact with the other wives she's still grumpy and brash, it fits with what the character is going through on the inside but challenging to like. The same goes for Kate, her position afforded to her by her husband's position and her take charge attitude reminds me of that one person who always wants it their way, and that feeling instantly overrides everything else that's happening.
That's not to say that you don't feel for them, you definitely do towards the end, but getting there is a struggle.
We have a lot of peripheral characters who come in for both drama and comedy, they're all handled nicely for the most part and the nature of the story means that they can come and go quite easily without many issues. The emotion from Amy James-Kelly as Sarah was great but there's a point where it really feels like a scene is cut n the middle as the tone changes, Laura Checkley as Maz was very funny and Gaby French as Jess comes in with humour and impact in her choir lead. There was just one notable oddity and that was the character of Dawn played by Roxy Faridany. The shy and quiet member of the choir gets brought up a couple of times and yet doesn't feature in any of the foreground scenes properly. This again felt like we were missing scenes where she featured more. Bringing in the soldier contingent we have Jason Flemyng (I love him, he needs to be in more things) who is the base commander (I'm not up on my ranks so I apologise if I got it wrong) and though it's not a large role it's a funny one. The look on his face in the scene under the bridge was a picture. He fits into the cast nicely and it was a good balance of screen time within the story.
Military Wives is a story of personal struggle and friendship at its core, and as expected I spent a significant amount of time with tears streaming down my face. It handles the grieving and coping struggles in a respectful way and the interactions between characters felt very real. The uncertainty, the hatred, the feat and horror, it was all there in the actors' performances. The film takes a long time to get to what you might say is the pay off, but the journey is well thought out and it comes together for a charming and emotional watch.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/02/military-wives-movie-review.html
On-base life can be difficult for the wives and partners of soldiers serving abroad. Lisa has inherited the job of organising the wives while everyone is deployed but it's not an activity she's keen on, she'd rather just make it through to the other side and have her husband back. Luckily [though it seems anything but] for her Kate wants to take on a role in those duties, she's a veteran wide and has a very proper way of looking at how they should conduct themselves. The two women take an instant dislike for the other's attitude making life stressful in the social circle.
This doesn't change once they pick an activity the group are all interested in and they struggle to find a rhythm together. Can the pair separate their differences for the wellbeing of the group and each other?
Military Wives is something that we seem to be able to churn out consistently over here. You want an emotionally uplifting (while devastating) drama? The Brits have got you covered. I cried over Wild Rose, Finding Your Feet, Fisherman's Friends and Juliet, Naked, all have that similar quality to them that makes them a surprisingly comforting watch.
At the centre we focus on Kate and Lisa, both women are looking to forget and just get through it all for different reasons. The two are chalk and cheese and Kristin Scott Thomas and Sharon Horgan thrive in their roles against one another. You can feel the agony they both suffer with and yet it's quite difficult to sympathise with either when for most of the film they are quite dislikable.
Even when we see Lisa interact with the other wives she's still grumpy and brash, it fits with what the character is going through on the inside but challenging to like. The same goes for Kate, her position afforded to her by her husband's position and her take charge attitude reminds me of that one person who always wants it their way, and that feeling instantly overrides everything else that's happening.
That's not to say that you don't feel for them, you definitely do towards the end, but getting there is a struggle.
We have a lot of peripheral characters who come in for both drama and comedy, they're all handled nicely for the most part and the nature of the story means that they can come and go quite easily without many issues. The emotion from Amy James-Kelly as Sarah was great but there's a point where it really feels like a scene is cut n the middle as the tone changes, Laura Checkley as Maz was very funny and Gaby French as Jess comes in with humour and impact in her choir lead. There was just one notable oddity and that was the character of Dawn played by Roxy Faridany. The shy and quiet member of the choir gets brought up a couple of times and yet doesn't feature in any of the foreground scenes properly. This again felt like we were missing scenes where she featured more. Bringing in the soldier contingent we have Jason Flemyng (I love him, he needs to be in more things) who is the base commander (I'm not up on my ranks so I apologise if I got it wrong) and though it's not a large role it's a funny one. The look on his face in the scene under the bridge was a picture. He fits into the cast nicely and it was a good balance of screen time within the story.
Military Wives is a story of personal struggle and friendship at its core, and as expected I spent a significant amount of time with tears streaming down my face. It handles the grieving and coping struggles in a respectful way and the interactions between characters felt very real. The uncertainty, the hatred, the feat and horror, it was all there in the actors' performances. The film takes a long time to get to what you might say is the pay off, but the journey is well thought out and it comes together for a charming and emotional watch.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/02/military-wives-movie-review.html
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)
I long for the blockbusters to come around again so I can stop saying "this is great but..." It has definitely become my mantra for January and I think it's the curse of awards season.
Melissa McCarthy is the second actor this month to take a big leap in genre and I'm loving it. Her comedy offerings have always amused me, Life Of The Party last year was great fun and I've just discovered she was DNAmy in Kim Possible so that means I need to watch all of that again!
I'm in danger of going off point now I've realised that last fact. Where was I?
McCarthy... Lee Israel is rather brash and as such has the potential to be entirely unlikeable, the performance is excellent though and McCarthy manages to make every situation feel very real. Despite that though I didn't get any real emotions out of any of it.
Luckily Richard E. Grant's inclusion allows the film to have a few lighter moments and the pair work wonderfully together on screen. I'm rather glad that this erased some of the damage The Nutcracker And The Four Realms did.
At no point during the film did I think anything was badly done. Lead and supporting actors were brilliant, the story it was based on was an interesting one... insert my phrase of the month here... The main issue I had with the film was pacing. I came out thinking that was a long two hour film before realising that it was only actually an hour and 46 minutes. At the mid-point my interest dwindled severely for a while but it did thankfully pick up a little. There are several bits that don't feel like they have much of a place in the story, whether they're part of the original narrative or added for the film I don't know but while they might have been there for background they didn't add any impact to the main story.
This rating has me a little at odds, the stars are mainly for the acting and the switch in pace for Melissa McCarthy, and as I said, nothing is badly done. Even with the limited audience potential this could have been an amazing film had it had something to keep you interested the whole way through.
What you should do
It's got some good points, but it is a very niche subject matter so I don't think I'd be recommending a viewing to anyone but my most booky friends.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
All those glorious bookshops!
Melissa McCarthy is the second actor this month to take a big leap in genre and I'm loving it. Her comedy offerings have always amused me, Life Of The Party last year was great fun and I've just discovered she was DNAmy in Kim Possible so that means I need to watch all of that again!
I'm in danger of going off point now I've realised that last fact. Where was I?
McCarthy... Lee Israel is rather brash and as such has the potential to be entirely unlikeable, the performance is excellent though and McCarthy manages to make every situation feel very real. Despite that though I didn't get any real emotions out of any of it.
Luckily Richard E. Grant's inclusion allows the film to have a few lighter moments and the pair work wonderfully together on screen. I'm rather glad that this erased some of the damage The Nutcracker And The Four Realms did.
At no point during the film did I think anything was badly done. Lead and supporting actors were brilliant, the story it was based on was an interesting one... insert my phrase of the month here... The main issue I had with the film was pacing. I came out thinking that was a long two hour film before realising that it was only actually an hour and 46 minutes. At the mid-point my interest dwindled severely for a while but it did thankfully pick up a little. There are several bits that don't feel like they have much of a place in the story, whether they're part of the original narrative or added for the film I don't know but while they might have been there for background they didn't add any impact to the main story.
This rating has me a little at odds, the stars are mainly for the acting and the switch in pace for Melissa McCarthy, and as I said, nothing is badly done. Even with the limited audience potential this could have been an amazing film had it had something to keep you interested the whole way through.
What you should do
It's got some good points, but it is a very niche subject matter so I don't think I'd be recommending a viewing to anyone but my most booky friends.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
All those glorious bookshops!
Merissa (13169 KP) rated Secrets In Shadows (Shadow Creek #1) in Books
Aug 11, 2017
Secrets In Shadows (Shadow Creek #1) by Leah Blake
Secrets in Shadows is the first book in the Shadow Creek series, and it starts with a bang! Rex is held within what could be a vicious circle - his father didn't want to be a wolf, so concentrated on fitting in with the human world and passed no information onto his family. Unfortunately, that meant that Rex and his brother grew up knowing very little about what it means, and how to survive. When they are attacked, they head for the only sanctuary they know. It is here that Rex learns just how bratty he has been, and figures out what he must do to change. I'm glad he figured it out, because he was a pain to begin with! Devon is the strong, silent type, and doesn't want a mate, let alone someone like Rex. However, that doesn't stop him from helping Rex when some hyenas get out of hand.
Being the first book, there is a lot to take in as you figure out a new world, new rules, new wars. It never feels like an info-dump though, and is spread out throughout the book. With no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, I was engrossed with the story and found the pacing to be just right for me. I have no hesitation in recommending this book for all fans of #M_M #PNR.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Being the first book, there is a lot to take in as you figure out a new world, new rules, new wars. It never feels like an info-dump though, and is spread out throughout the book. With no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, I was engrossed with the story and found the pacing to be just right for me. I have no hesitation in recommending this book for all fans of #M_M #PNR.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
First, I just have to say how gorgeous this cover is! If I hadn't been intrigued by the synopsis, I would have grabbed it up for the cover alone. Second, if you are not already a fan of Angela Hunt, then you will be after reading this amazingly chiseled novel. She is absolutely talented and truly captured my soul with this new novel. This is Biblical fiction at it's finest!
I am a lover of Historical fiction and this book fits the bill for best of 2017 so far! Reading about Cleopatra and Chava really moved me. I've heard of Cleopatra, of course, but never really read a book that centered around her time. So, getting to know Chava, the young woman waiting to take her place at the Queen's side and Cleopatra, and all that was Alexandra, was truly an event I don't want to forget. The detail that Ms. Hunt adds to this novel is breath taking and I won't soon forget the feel of being in the heart of the story.
If you want a novel that will whisk you away to a time in history that isn't often written about, then I suggest this book with high flying colors! If you want to be captivated and become the characters, then this 5 star novel is highly worth getting! This book kept me turning the pages long into the night and I am already anxiously awaiting another book by this author who knows just what her fans love! <a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/review-eygpts-sister-by-angela-hunt/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
I am a lover of Historical fiction and this book fits the bill for best of 2017 so far! Reading about Cleopatra and Chava really moved me. I've heard of Cleopatra, of course, but never really read a book that centered around her time. So, getting to know Chava, the young woman waiting to take her place at the Queen's side and Cleopatra, and all that was Alexandra, was truly an event I don't want to forget. The detail that Ms. Hunt adds to this novel is breath taking and I won't soon forget the feel of being in the heart of the story.
If you want a novel that will whisk you away to a time in history that isn't often written about, then I suggest this book with high flying colors! If you want to be captivated and become the characters, then this 5 star novel is highly worth getting! This book kept me turning the pages long into the night and I am already anxiously awaiting another book by this author who knows just what her fans love! <a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/review-eygpts-sister-by-angela-hunt/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
Kyera (8 KP) rated The Empress (The Diabolic, #2) in Books
Feb 1, 2018
The Empress is the second book in the Diabolic series, which is slated to be a three book series. The second book completely flips the story line on its head and I wasn't entirely sure how to feel. The pacing lagged at the beginning, but the final quarter of the book was so gripping that I couldn't put it down. Since this is a sequel, anything beyond this could be a spoiler so I would recommend proceeding with caution.
Despite having not re-read the previous book prior to reading the Empress, it did not take me long to fall back into the world. The sprawling and complex system created in the Diabolic is still as present and nefarious as it was in the first book. I enjoyed watching Nemesis and Tyrus battle the Grandiloquy with their wits and attempt to better the galaxy.
It was nice to see some of the main characters develop and feel like more three-dimensional characters than they were. Even though Nemesis is a Diabolic, she is learning that she can be more than what she was created to be and struggles to be more "human". It was fascinating to watch her development, see her attempt to be more empathetic and not immediately jump to the violent solution.
The plot made me so sad, but also need to know what the conclusion to this series will be - alas it will not be released until fall of 2018. I would recommend this series to young adult/teen readers who enjoy science fiction, battles of wits and intrigue, as well as a dash of violence and mass-murder.
Despite having not re-read the previous book prior to reading the Empress, it did not take me long to fall back into the world. The sprawling and complex system created in the Diabolic is still as present and nefarious as it was in the first book. I enjoyed watching Nemesis and Tyrus battle the Grandiloquy with their wits and attempt to better the galaxy.
It was nice to see some of the main characters develop and feel like more three-dimensional characters than they were. Even though Nemesis is a Diabolic, she is learning that she can be more than what she was created to be and struggles to be more "human". It was fascinating to watch her development, see her attempt to be more empathetic and not immediately jump to the violent solution.
The plot made me so sad, but also need to know what the conclusion to this series will be - alas it will not be released until fall of 2018. I would recommend this series to young adult/teen readers who enjoy science fiction, battles of wits and intrigue, as well as a dash of violence and mass-murder.