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Merissa (12351 KP) rated Bloodlaced (Youkai Bloodlines #1) in Books
May 7, 2021
BLOODLACED is the first book in the Youkai Bloodlines series, and I have to say I was blown away by this story. It is sad, it is hopeful; it is heart-warming, it is heart-breaking.
Asagi is neither man or woman, and their name reflects that. Sold as a child into a world of slavery, Asagi has been broken so many times. They will do what they need to, to protect those they claim. And when they take Tsukito as their own, they love him completely. Unfortunately, it isn't enough, and Asagi is sold once again, leaving his heart behind, and he can only fear for what will happen to Tsukito.
If you are looking for a light, fluffy book, then I implore you to look elsewhere. However, if you want a high-angst, incredibly sad story with highlights of happiness, then I can suggest you give this one a go.
There is so much character development for Asagi. They really do learn so much about themselves. Their love never falters but does change. Mahiro is constant and I can't help but wish for a happy ending for him.
One small thing - the ending. It about broke me! It really did. The only reason it didn't is because it almost felt over too soon. I know that doesn't make much sense, but if you read it, then you'll understand. There was no real build-up, just BOOM!! There is a snippet of hope left though, that a happy ending might be in sight... but not within the pages of this book. The author leaves that to the reader's imagination, and that is the perfect way to finish the story.
This book came as a surprise, and I am thrilled to have read it. I really can't wait for book 2. I definitely recommend this book if you are looking for something a bit different to the usual vampire genre.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Asagi is neither man or woman, and their name reflects that. Sold as a child into a world of slavery, Asagi has been broken so many times. They will do what they need to, to protect those they claim. And when they take Tsukito as their own, they love him completely. Unfortunately, it isn't enough, and Asagi is sold once again, leaving his heart behind, and he can only fear for what will happen to Tsukito.
If you are looking for a light, fluffy book, then I implore you to look elsewhere. However, if you want a high-angst, incredibly sad story with highlights of happiness, then I can suggest you give this one a go.
There is so much character development for Asagi. They really do learn so much about themselves. Their love never falters but does change. Mahiro is constant and I can't help but wish for a happy ending for him.
One small thing - the ending. It about broke me! It really did. The only reason it didn't is because it almost felt over too soon. I know that doesn't make much sense, but if you read it, then you'll understand. There was no real build-up, just BOOM!! There is a snippet of hope left though, that a happy ending might be in sight... but not within the pages of this book. The author leaves that to the reader's imagination, and that is the perfect way to finish the story.
This book came as a surprise, and I am thrilled to have read it. I really can't wait for book 2. I definitely recommend this book if you are looking for something a bit different to the usual vampire genre.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated The Darkest Promise (Lords of the Underworld, #13) in Books
Jan 12, 2021
So I've recently read The Darkest Torment and back in May I read The Darkest Touch, both of which have led to Cameo and Lazarus' story - and I'll admit I am looking forward to reading this one because they have shared some steamy scenes before.
This starts with Cameo using the artefacts to head back to Lazarus in his realm after having snippets of memory of a man that she craved but unable to remember him thanks to her demon. She only knows it was Lazarus thanks to conversations she's had with her friends. She literally falls from the sky and destroys a few organs as she lands on the ground, leaving her in agony until she heals. She eventually manages to get to her feet and wanders the land until she finds Lazarus' kingdom.
I read the first hundred pages in one sitting, I was getting that pulled into this. I was intrigued by their relationship and how they could be together when her demon would never allow her any joy and when her closeness was heralding his death. Their relationship was passionate and Lazarus seemed to know a lot about her and her demon, knowing how to overcome the sadness it always made her feel. He himself, was a bit of a mystery. We knew very little about him but that changed as the book progressed.
I did enjoy this. All the gang are included in this again and I loved seeing their closeness once more. There is one scene that had me smiling like an idiot: a mud fight. Lazarus starts it with Cameo but before long everyone is joining in and it made me a little warm and fuzzy to see all these warriors having fun with their females.
I did feel like something was missing, though. I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would when I started this. I even skipped a lot of the sex scenes towards the end, they just weren't working for me anymore.
I do have book 14 to read, Gilly and Puck's story, but I think I'm going to give this series a little break for now.
This starts with Cameo using the artefacts to head back to Lazarus in his realm after having snippets of memory of a man that she craved but unable to remember him thanks to her demon. She only knows it was Lazarus thanks to conversations she's had with her friends. She literally falls from the sky and destroys a few organs as she lands on the ground, leaving her in agony until she heals. She eventually manages to get to her feet and wanders the land until she finds Lazarus' kingdom.
I read the first hundred pages in one sitting, I was getting that pulled into this. I was intrigued by their relationship and how they could be together when her demon would never allow her any joy and when her closeness was heralding his death. Their relationship was passionate and Lazarus seemed to know a lot about her and her demon, knowing how to overcome the sadness it always made her feel. He himself, was a bit of a mystery. We knew very little about him but that changed as the book progressed.
I did enjoy this. All the gang are included in this again and I loved seeing their closeness once more. There is one scene that had me smiling like an idiot: a mud fight. Lazarus starts it with Cameo but before long everyone is joining in and it made me a little warm and fuzzy to see all these warriors having fun with their females.
I did feel like something was missing, though. I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would when I started this. I even skipped a lot of the sex scenes towards the end, they just weren't working for me anymore.
I do have book 14 to read, Gilly and Puck's story, but I think I'm going to give this series a little break for now.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Angels Burning in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Dove Carnahan is Chief of Police in a rural Pennsylvania town. Her job is typically more administrative than investigative. So when a girl's body is found beaten and burned in abandoned part of town, Dove must rally her team's limited resources to find out what has happened. In addition, she must work with the state police, including Chief Nolan, with whom she has a past, to solve the crime. In doing so, Dove becomes entwined with a local redneck family. The crime also brings up memories of the murder of Dove's mother many years ago. Will Dove be able to bring justice for this crime, without getting sidetracked by her own past?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book - it took me by complete surprise. Part of it was that I felt that I knew the characters. I've grown up with families like these - gone to school with them, live near them now. O'Dell portrayed the town dynamics flawlessly and she did a magnificent job of bringing each character into full detail.
Dove is an interesting character - flawed in many ways, but you cannot help but root for her and like her. The entire book felt somewhat familiar, like I'd picked up in the middle of series. (Speaking of, when this ended, I thought, oh I hope O'Dell writes another book featuring Dove.) Dove reminded me a little bit of Kate Burkholder, from Linda Castillo's excellent series - another strong female detective fighting for her hometown.
There were a few plot points that seemed a bit unbelievable (at one point, Dove shoots out the tires on a boys' pickup truck, just because he's annoyed her - something that would no doubt get her fired in this crazy media/viral video age we live in), but O'Dell's writing and plot gets you past any missteps. I thought Dove focused a bit too much on worries about her age (she's just turned 50) and her gender -- pointing out how men wouldn't treat her a particular way if she was actually a man. But really, Dove is so excellent at her job that she really just manages to prove that she can do anything - age or gender be damned.
The plot is intriguing and compelling and you find yourself drawn into the deceased girl's family and acquaintances, as well as Dove's own family and past. Honestly, when this one was over, I felt sad, which is a rare quality anymore. 4.5 stars.
(Note: I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.)
I thoroughly enjoyed this book - it took me by complete surprise. Part of it was that I felt that I knew the characters. I've grown up with families like these - gone to school with them, live near them now. O'Dell portrayed the town dynamics flawlessly and she did a magnificent job of bringing each character into full detail.
Dove is an interesting character - flawed in many ways, but you cannot help but root for her and like her. The entire book felt somewhat familiar, like I'd picked up in the middle of series. (Speaking of, when this ended, I thought, oh I hope O'Dell writes another book featuring Dove.) Dove reminded me a little bit of Kate Burkholder, from Linda Castillo's excellent series - another strong female detective fighting for her hometown.
There were a few plot points that seemed a bit unbelievable (at one point, Dove shoots out the tires on a boys' pickup truck, just because he's annoyed her - something that would no doubt get her fired in this crazy media/viral video age we live in), but O'Dell's writing and plot gets you past any missteps. I thought Dove focused a bit too much on worries about her age (she's just turned 50) and her gender -- pointing out how men wouldn't treat her a particular way if she was actually a man. But really, Dove is so excellent at her job that she really just manages to prove that she can do anything - age or gender be damned.
The plot is intriguing and compelling and you find yourself drawn into the deceased girl's family and acquaintances, as well as Dove's own family and past. Honestly, when this one was over, I felt sad, which is a rare quality anymore. 4.5 stars.
(Note: I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.)
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated In Time (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
t is said that time is money and in the new film “In Time” this statement takes on an entirely new meaning. In the future we learn that humans have been genetically created to stop aging at the age of 25. Once they reach this selected age, a clock starts to count down from one year. People can obtain more time via work, stealing it from others, or being gifted more time but once their clock hits zero, they expire or “Time Out” as it is called.
As the film opens, we are introduced to Will Salas (Justin Timberlake), a man who is three years past twenty five who lives at home with his mother (Olivia Wilde). Will starts each day with barely enough time on his clock for another day, so he dutifully heads off to work each day to earn more time. As does his mother and everyone he knows since workers are paid at the end of their shifts by having more time added to their accounts. Many need to work daily in order to see the next day. To stop working is to die and since everything from food to rent and clothing is paid for in time from an individual’s account, they often have to make the choice between a transaction or more hours of life.
One evening after work, Will encounters a man named Henry (Matt Bomer), with over 100 years remaining on his clock and cautions the man that in this area he is likely to attract thieves. Will’s warnings go unheeded and soon a group of thugs arrive forcing Will to whisk the man away to safety. During their night in hiding, the man tells Will that after living for over a century, he is tired of the way the system is and how the rich can live forever while the working poor suffer just to live another day.
Will awakens the next morning to find the man gone and that his clock has now been credited the 100 years. Will locates the man just in time to watch him time out with a smile as he watches the sun rise. Flush with new wealth, Will plans to move his mother out of the slums and into a better life but when tragedy strikes, Will decides to move to where the wealth is as to take them for all he can.
Will soon finds himself in a high stakes card game at a casino and in a desperate move finds himself wealthier than he ever imagined. His actions impress very wealthy banking magnet Philippie Weiss (Vincent Kartheiser), who introduces him to his daughter Sylvia (Amanda Seyfried). Will and Sylvia hit it off as she is intrigued by someone who came into money rather than being born with it and imagines what life would be like with some excitement.
Will and Sylvia soon have their worlds turned upside down when Will is suspected in the death of Henry and find themselves on the run from a Timekeeper named Raymond (Cillian Murphy), who wants to bring Will to justice. In a rapid series of events, Will and Sylvia must contend with Raymond, criminals, and a series of unsavory characters to regain their lost time before it is to late so they can implement their master plan to truly make a difference.
The film has some great social commentary and a great cast but is hindered by trying to be too many things. It works well as a science fiction film with elements of action and romance. Sadly the film goes off course by having Will and Sylvia act as a modern day Robin Hood duo taking on the powers-that-be to save the downtrodden masses. While it is a noble effort it derailed the momentum of the story as much of the tension and mystery of the story was lost. If one is wanted by thugs and the authorities, I would think that knocking over one high profile time bank after another would not be the way to keep a low profile.
That being said, despite the flaws, the film works and I found myself thinking about the characters and the setting they lived in days after the I screened the film. I had been concerned that the film would be nothing more than a knockoff of “Logan’s Run” but thankfully the film had enough new content to keep it fresh and interesting. In many ways, “In Time” is science fiction at its best as it allows for timely social commentary and provides a disturbing look at many age old debates on society’s endless quests for wealth, power, and youth.
As the film opens, we are introduced to Will Salas (Justin Timberlake), a man who is three years past twenty five who lives at home with his mother (Olivia Wilde). Will starts each day with barely enough time on his clock for another day, so he dutifully heads off to work each day to earn more time. As does his mother and everyone he knows since workers are paid at the end of their shifts by having more time added to their accounts. Many need to work daily in order to see the next day. To stop working is to die and since everything from food to rent and clothing is paid for in time from an individual’s account, they often have to make the choice between a transaction or more hours of life.
One evening after work, Will encounters a man named Henry (Matt Bomer), with over 100 years remaining on his clock and cautions the man that in this area he is likely to attract thieves. Will’s warnings go unheeded and soon a group of thugs arrive forcing Will to whisk the man away to safety. During their night in hiding, the man tells Will that after living for over a century, he is tired of the way the system is and how the rich can live forever while the working poor suffer just to live another day.
Will awakens the next morning to find the man gone and that his clock has now been credited the 100 years. Will locates the man just in time to watch him time out with a smile as he watches the sun rise. Flush with new wealth, Will plans to move his mother out of the slums and into a better life but when tragedy strikes, Will decides to move to where the wealth is as to take them for all he can.
Will soon finds himself in a high stakes card game at a casino and in a desperate move finds himself wealthier than he ever imagined. His actions impress very wealthy banking magnet Philippie Weiss (Vincent Kartheiser), who introduces him to his daughter Sylvia (Amanda Seyfried). Will and Sylvia hit it off as she is intrigued by someone who came into money rather than being born with it and imagines what life would be like with some excitement.
Will and Sylvia soon have their worlds turned upside down when Will is suspected in the death of Henry and find themselves on the run from a Timekeeper named Raymond (Cillian Murphy), who wants to bring Will to justice. In a rapid series of events, Will and Sylvia must contend with Raymond, criminals, and a series of unsavory characters to regain their lost time before it is to late so they can implement their master plan to truly make a difference.
The film has some great social commentary and a great cast but is hindered by trying to be too many things. It works well as a science fiction film with elements of action and romance. Sadly the film goes off course by having Will and Sylvia act as a modern day Robin Hood duo taking on the powers-that-be to save the downtrodden masses. While it is a noble effort it derailed the momentum of the story as much of the tension and mystery of the story was lost. If one is wanted by thugs and the authorities, I would think that knocking over one high profile time bank after another would not be the way to keep a low profile.
That being said, despite the flaws, the film works and I found myself thinking about the characters and the setting they lived in days after the I screened the film. I had been concerned that the film would be nothing more than a knockoff of “Logan’s Run” but thankfully the film had enough new content to keep it fresh and interesting. In many ways, “In Time” is science fiction at its best as it allows for timely social commentary and provides a disturbing look at many age old debates on society’s endless quests for wealth, power, and youth.
MaryAnn (14 KP) rated Delayed Justice (Hidden Justice #3) in Books
Mar 5, 2019
She had long given up the desire to be loved. Now she only needed to be heard. Jaime Nichols went to law school to find the voice she never had as a child, and her determination to protect girls and women in the path of harm drives her in ways both spoken and unspoken. As Jamie, now a criminal defense attorney, prepares to press charges against someone who wronged her long ago, she must face not only her demons but also the unimaginable forces that protect the powerful man who tore her childhood apart. Chandler Bolton, a retired veteran, is tasked with helping a young victim who must testify in court—and along with his therapy dog, Aslan, he’s up for the task. When he first meets Jaime, all brains, beauty, and brashness, he can’t help but be intrigued. As Chandler works to break through the wall Jaime has built around herself, the two of them discover that they may have more to offer one another than they ever could have guessed—and that together, they may be able to help this endangered child. This thrilling installment of the Hidden Justice series explores the healing power of resolution and the weight of words given voice. And as Jaime pursues delayed justice of her own, she unearths eternal truths that will change the course of her life.
My Thoughts: Cara Putman has written a powerful novel that focuses on issues we see every day. This is a novel about strength, recovery, trust and finding hope in God. This is a fast-moving story-line that keeps the reader's interest, there are no dull moments in this novel.
The characters were easy for the reader to identify with. Jaime has worked hard to work through her trauma and to seek justice. Chandler the veteran who suffers from mild PTSD. The author did a wonderful job with Chandler, a man who has also with the help of Aslan push past his trauma. As I said the author has touched on topics that I believe everyone has or knows someone touched by these traumas. The author has done a wonderful job bringing these to the readers' attention and showing that with counseling, the victims can obtain justice and freedom from the past.
I enjoyed that C.S. Lewis' "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" from "Narnia" were brought into the storyline. I immediately fell in love with Aslan and the job he performed in the story.
This was a wonderful and a joy to read. I highly recommend this one, especially to those who enjoy action and suspense with a little romance mixed in.
My Thoughts: Cara Putman has written a powerful novel that focuses on issues we see every day. This is a novel about strength, recovery, trust and finding hope in God. This is a fast-moving story-line that keeps the reader's interest, there are no dull moments in this novel.
The characters were easy for the reader to identify with. Jaime has worked hard to work through her trauma and to seek justice. Chandler the veteran who suffers from mild PTSD. The author did a wonderful job with Chandler, a man who has also with the help of Aslan push past his trauma. As I said the author has touched on topics that I believe everyone has or knows someone touched by these traumas. The author has done a wonderful job bringing these to the readers' attention and showing that with counseling, the victims can obtain justice and freedom from the past.
I enjoyed that C.S. Lewis' "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" from "Narnia" were brought into the storyline. I immediately fell in love with Aslan and the job he performed in the story.
This was a wonderful and a joy to read. I highly recommend this one, especially to those who enjoy action and suspense with a little romance mixed in.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Two Days Gone (Ryan DeMarco Mystery #1) in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Also read my review here: http://bookbum.weebly.com/book-reviews/two-days-gone-by-randall-silvis
NOW AVAILABLE!
<i><b>But doesnt every guilty man hide his deeds behind his words and hide his thoughts behind his smile?</i></b>
This was perfectly set up to be a great novel, but unfortunately, like so many novel nowadays, it instead failed to excite and thrill me, and in the end, turned into an extremely mediocre read.
It wasnt until around 70% of the way through this book that I realised how dislikable DeMarco, our supposed hero, was. His anger and grief was completely understandable after the loss of his wife and child, but I felt he was unnecessarily unkind to his peers and overly passive aggressive in general. <spoiler>Plus can we talk about how much of a shitty cop he was? Getting into a car with a bleeding out dead body to chase an armed, highly fragile man and not alerting anyone? <b>Murdering</b> the main suspect on a case just because he could? Only in fiction.</spoiler>However, out of our two main characters, I was happy to read more about DeMarco than Thomas. I found Thomas PoV to be slow and a little pointless. Again, I understood his anguish and shame etc, but I guess I just couldnt connect to his character and summon up the right emotions to care about his story that much.
This was a slow read for me, but I kept pushing through it because: 1) it wasnt <i>that</i> bad and 2) I was led to believe, by some other reviews, that an amazing twist was going to be revealed. <i>Unfortunately,</i> we got the amazing twist and my reaction was more of an oh than a whoa!! <spoiler>I guess I wanted to the book to feel more realistic, I wanted some innate human darkness to be the cause of the murders, I didnt want a book about revenge.</spoiler> The plot, overall, wasnt too bad, there were some exciting moments, but for the most part this could only just hold my interest.
<i>Two Days Gone</i> didnt grab my attention well enough for me to rate it anything higher than 3 stars. It was an average story, with average characters and an average plot twist. Its a shame because had high hopes for this one, but nevermind, you win some, you lose some. I see Amazon have specified this as a Ryan DeMarco novel so Im assuming we may be seeing a series come out from Silvis, but I wont be keeping up with it.
Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
NOW AVAILABLE!
<i><b>But doesnt every guilty man hide his deeds behind his words and hide his thoughts behind his smile?</i></b>
This was perfectly set up to be a great novel, but unfortunately, like so many novel nowadays, it instead failed to excite and thrill me, and in the end, turned into an extremely mediocre read.
It wasnt until around 70% of the way through this book that I realised how dislikable DeMarco, our supposed hero, was. His anger and grief was completely understandable after the loss of his wife and child, but I felt he was unnecessarily unkind to his peers and overly passive aggressive in general. <spoiler>Plus can we talk about how much of a shitty cop he was? Getting into a car with a bleeding out dead body to chase an armed, highly fragile man and not alerting anyone? <b>Murdering</b> the main suspect on a case just because he could? Only in fiction.</spoiler>However, out of our two main characters, I was happy to read more about DeMarco than Thomas. I found Thomas PoV to be slow and a little pointless. Again, I understood his anguish and shame etc, but I guess I just couldnt connect to his character and summon up the right emotions to care about his story that much.
This was a slow read for me, but I kept pushing through it because: 1) it wasnt <i>that</i> bad and 2) I was led to believe, by some other reviews, that an amazing twist was going to be revealed. <i>Unfortunately,</i> we got the amazing twist and my reaction was more of an oh than a whoa!! <spoiler>I guess I wanted to the book to feel more realistic, I wanted some innate human darkness to be the cause of the murders, I didnt want a book about revenge.</spoiler> The plot, overall, wasnt too bad, there were some exciting moments, but for the most part this could only just hold my interest.
<i>Two Days Gone</i> didnt grab my attention well enough for me to rate it anything higher than 3 stars. It was an average story, with average characters and an average plot twist. Its a shame because had high hopes for this one, but nevermind, you win some, you lose some. I see Amazon have specified this as a Ryan DeMarco novel so Im assuming we may be seeing a series come out from Silvis, but I wont be keeping up with it.
Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
Louise (64 KP) rated Izombie: Volume 1: Dead to the World in Books
Jul 2, 2018
I first heard about this book from Elena reads books and was instantly intrigued!This book sounded fun, I haven’t read much about zombies and also just wanted to read more comics/graphic novels. It was totally fascinating from the start and definitely different.
Gwen appears to be you average everyday person at the start, other than working as a gravedigger she is normal, except she’s not! She is a zombie! but not your stereotypical zombie – she doesn’t walk around groaning, her face and body are not decaying. As long as she eats one brain per month she will not turn full zombie. However eating brains comes at a cost, first of all the brain has to be pretty fresh (hence being a gravedigger), she obviously can’t get caught, they taste bad….oh and she gets stuck with the deceased’s memories for a period of time. The last brain she ate was from a young family man who was killed by a serial killer. Gwen takes it upon herself to investigate why the man was murdered. Also there are a group of female vampires who don’t kill their victims they just feed little and often from men that attend paint balling in the woods. However there is always one that can’t play by the rules and is starting to attract attention from these ancient monster hunters.
There were so many different types of character/monsters in this book, we had zombies (obvs)Ghosts, Vampires and even a WereTerrier which I thought was kind of cute. This is a more of a fluffy zombie book and totally different from the walking dead. I liked all the individual characters but there wasn’t a lot of development and I think this was because there was too much trying to happen in one volume. We had the story of Gwen, it would then jump to the Vampires and then to the hunters, which made the plot line a bit disjointed. Some of the characters….Mainly Dixie was portrayed as being self-centred, all she thinks about is herself and Gwen is unable to rely on her even though she is her best friend. All the females in the book all seemed to have perfect bodies… I wish they just made some females different shapes and sizes. I really liked the art style and colours that were used to set the tone of the book. This was a great introduction to the story and I will be continuing on with the second volume.
Also there is a series on Netflix adaptation that is loosely based on the comic, I might start watching it as my partner has watched it and said it’s alright. Have you watched izombie? whats your thoughts on it?
Overall I rated this 3.75 out of 5 stars
Gwen appears to be you average everyday person at the start, other than working as a gravedigger she is normal, except she’s not! She is a zombie! but not your stereotypical zombie – she doesn’t walk around groaning, her face and body are not decaying. As long as she eats one brain per month she will not turn full zombie. However eating brains comes at a cost, first of all the brain has to be pretty fresh (hence being a gravedigger), she obviously can’t get caught, they taste bad….oh and she gets stuck with the deceased’s memories for a period of time. The last brain she ate was from a young family man who was killed by a serial killer. Gwen takes it upon herself to investigate why the man was murdered. Also there are a group of female vampires who don’t kill their victims they just feed little and often from men that attend paint balling in the woods. However there is always one that can’t play by the rules and is starting to attract attention from these ancient monster hunters.
There were so many different types of character/monsters in this book, we had zombies (obvs)Ghosts, Vampires and even a WereTerrier which I thought was kind of cute. This is a more of a fluffy zombie book and totally different from the walking dead. I liked all the individual characters but there wasn’t a lot of development and I think this was because there was too much trying to happen in one volume. We had the story of Gwen, it would then jump to the Vampires and then to the hunters, which made the plot line a bit disjointed. Some of the characters….Mainly Dixie was portrayed as being self-centred, all she thinks about is herself and Gwen is unable to rely on her even though she is her best friend. All the females in the book all seemed to have perfect bodies… I wish they just made some females different shapes and sizes. I really liked the art style and colours that were used to set the tone of the book. This was a great introduction to the story and I will be continuing on with the second volume.
Also there is a series on Netflix adaptation that is loosely based on the comic, I might start watching it as my partner has watched it and said it’s alright. Have you watched izombie? whats your thoughts on it?
Overall I rated this 3.75 out of 5 stars
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Dark Tower (2017) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Adapting Stephen King stories for the screen has long been a difficult problem for Hollywood. For every “Misery” and “The Shawshank Redemption”, there are many others such as “The Mangler”, “Cell”, “and Graveyard Shift” and many more where things did not go as planned.
The big issue is that King often creates detailed characters with complex backstories and puts then in fully developed worlds that despite their supernatural nature, often are easy for readers to relate to.
Also as any reader of his books knows, King is not one to spare the paper and his books can be very lengthy offerings. This is an issue for Hollywood as they are forced to condense a 400-800 page plus story in many cases to fewer than two hours of screen time. The solution has been to try television movies such as “The Langoliers”, “The Tommyknockers”, “The Stand”, and “It”. The problem with this format is that while spreading the story over multiple nights allows more time for the story, they gore and adult content which is often the core of the story has to be greatly watered down.
Which brings us to “The Dark Tower”, an adaptation of King’s largest offering as the series covers seven books and a novella, not to mention a Prequel comic and more. The series rolled out from 1982-2004 with King often saying that he might never finish the series. Fortunately for fans he released three books from 2003-2004 and was able to declare the story told.
The story tells of a world like ours, but different that has “moved on”. It is a dying world where Roland (Idris Elba), is pursuing a wizard named Walter (Matthew McConaughey), who is responsible for laying waste the world and killing all that come into Roland’s life. The books follow his unrelenting chase of The Man in Black over countless years and how he has become a cold and driven individual who thinks nothing of using people to get his revenge.
Roland is the last of the “Gunslingers”, a Knight like group who protected the world and who used guns that were rare in their world to keep the peace. Roland is highly skilled and unlike his now dead companions, is impervious to the magic of Walter which has allowed him to remain alive and continue his quest.
The Man in Black is fixated on destroying the Dark Tower, which protects the many worlds in the universe from the outside evils that look to destroy it. Along with a young boy from Earth named Jake (Tom Taylor), Roland must find a way to save the universe and exact his revenge.
The film keeps the conflict between Roland and The Man in Black but greatly condenses the story as it includes references to things in the first two books but omits much of the backstory and plot of the novels to tell what I would call a story that was inspired by, but not based on the books.
This is at the core the biggest issue with the film. I have read the books and while I wanted an adaptation that was closer to them, I did find myself enjoying the film more than I expected to. The leads were very good and even though they had a very watered down script to work with, they did a good job and the finale does have some nice visuals and action to it.
People I know who have read the books have naturally been very disappointed with the film but those who have not read the books have mentioned that they enjoyed the film and accepted it as a fun bit of escapist adventure.
There has been talk of a television series that would focus more on the third book onward which hopefully would include how Roland gained new followers from our world who were trained to be future Gunslingers. That remains to be seen as the success of the film will likely hold the key. I hope we do get to see it as there are countless stories and characters yet to tell in this universe and I think fans deserve to see them as King wrote them.
http://sknr.net/2017/08/03/the-dark-tower/
The big issue is that King often creates detailed characters with complex backstories and puts then in fully developed worlds that despite their supernatural nature, often are easy for readers to relate to.
Also as any reader of his books knows, King is not one to spare the paper and his books can be very lengthy offerings. This is an issue for Hollywood as they are forced to condense a 400-800 page plus story in many cases to fewer than two hours of screen time. The solution has been to try television movies such as “The Langoliers”, “The Tommyknockers”, “The Stand”, and “It”. The problem with this format is that while spreading the story over multiple nights allows more time for the story, they gore and adult content which is often the core of the story has to be greatly watered down.
Which brings us to “The Dark Tower”, an adaptation of King’s largest offering as the series covers seven books and a novella, not to mention a Prequel comic and more. The series rolled out from 1982-2004 with King often saying that he might never finish the series. Fortunately for fans he released three books from 2003-2004 and was able to declare the story told.
The story tells of a world like ours, but different that has “moved on”. It is a dying world where Roland (Idris Elba), is pursuing a wizard named Walter (Matthew McConaughey), who is responsible for laying waste the world and killing all that come into Roland’s life. The books follow his unrelenting chase of The Man in Black over countless years and how he has become a cold and driven individual who thinks nothing of using people to get his revenge.
Roland is the last of the “Gunslingers”, a Knight like group who protected the world and who used guns that were rare in their world to keep the peace. Roland is highly skilled and unlike his now dead companions, is impervious to the magic of Walter which has allowed him to remain alive and continue his quest.
The Man in Black is fixated on destroying the Dark Tower, which protects the many worlds in the universe from the outside evils that look to destroy it. Along with a young boy from Earth named Jake (Tom Taylor), Roland must find a way to save the universe and exact his revenge.
The film keeps the conflict between Roland and The Man in Black but greatly condenses the story as it includes references to things in the first two books but omits much of the backstory and plot of the novels to tell what I would call a story that was inspired by, but not based on the books.
This is at the core the biggest issue with the film. I have read the books and while I wanted an adaptation that was closer to them, I did find myself enjoying the film more than I expected to. The leads were very good and even though they had a very watered down script to work with, they did a good job and the finale does have some nice visuals and action to it.
People I know who have read the books have naturally been very disappointed with the film but those who have not read the books have mentioned that they enjoyed the film and accepted it as a fun bit of escapist adventure.
There has been talk of a television series that would focus more on the third book onward which hopefully would include how Roland gained new followers from our world who were trained to be future Gunslingers. That remains to be seen as the success of the film will likely hold the key. I hope we do get to see it as there are countless stories and characters yet to tell in this universe and I think fans deserve to see them as King wrote them.
http://sknr.net/2017/08/03/the-dark-tower/
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Remain Silent in Books
Jun 11, 2020
In the third book in Steiner's Manon Bradshaw series, we find Manon at work part-time in cold cases, leaving her "time" to raise her toddler, Teddy, and teenage son, Fly. She's adjusting to domestic living with Mark and all the bliss that comes with it: who will take out the garbage, pick up the kids, cook dinner, and more. Then Teddy and Manon take a walk to the park and discover a body: a Lithuanian immigrant named Lukas hanging from a tree, a note attached to his body. Manon's annoying and perhaps clueless boss assigns her to lead the case--with her faithful partner Davy Walker--and Manon is back, attempting to juggle work, motherhood, and what could be a very dangerous murder case.
I love Manon and this was yet another well-written mystery from Steiner. The introduction to this book features one of the most amazing, realistic, and yes, depressing, ruminations on marriage, life, and death that I may have ever read. In fact, Steiner so perfectly captures real life, especially juggling being a working mom. I love that she doesn't shy away from how hard Manon finds parenting, or gloss over the difficulties of marriage. Once or twice I might have found these tirades a bit tiresome (back to the case, I say!), but overall, it's refreshing to find a book that tells it like it is.
Speaking of, this is such a timely read, focusing on immigration, racism, and the overall hatred of "otherness" that seems to permeate the world right now. The central plot focuses on the infusion of immigrants, particularly Eastern Europeans, into England. The story told is a heartbreaking one of anger and loss. Steiner deftly weaves a tale from multiple points of view and time periods--we hear not only from Manon and Davy, but Lukas' friend Matis, who spearheads the pair's immigration from Lithuania, only for them to find themselves basically prisoners. They are indebted to the man who brought them over, trapped in a smelly workhouse, and forced to do menial labor to pay off their "debt." With Lukas dead, the story leading up to his death unfolds, and it's absolutely riveting and heartbreaking. Steiner handles the sensitive issues surrounding immigration and racism wonderfully, crafting a well-done mystery that still gives this topic its due.
"'Why do they hate us so much?'"
Overall, I cannot recommend this book (4.5 stars) or this series enough. I have followed Steiner on social media for years and was devastated to learn she was diagnosed with a brain tumor after submitting this book. My heart goes out to her and her recovery.
I love Manon and this was yet another well-written mystery from Steiner. The introduction to this book features one of the most amazing, realistic, and yes, depressing, ruminations on marriage, life, and death that I may have ever read. In fact, Steiner so perfectly captures real life, especially juggling being a working mom. I love that she doesn't shy away from how hard Manon finds parenting, or gloss over the difficulties of marriage. Once or twice I might have found these tirades a bit tiresome (back to the case, I say!), but overall, it's refreshing to find a book that tells it like it is.
Speaking of, this is such a timely read, focusing on immigration, racism, and the overall hatred of "otherness" that seems to permeate the world right now. The central plot focuses on the infusion of immigrants, particularly Eastern Europeans, into England. The story told is a heartbreaking one of anger and loss. Steiner deftly weaves a tale from multiple points of view and time periods--we hear not only from Manon and Davy, but Lukas' friend Matis, who spearheads the pair's immigration from Lithuania, only for them to find themselves basically prisoners. They are indebted to the man who brought them over, trapped in a smelly workhouse, and forced to do menial labor to pay off their "debt." With Lukas dead, the story leading up to his death unfolds, and it's absolutely riveting and heartbreaking. Steiner handles the sensitive issues surrounding immigration and racism wonderfully, crafting a well-done mystery that still gives this topic its due.
"'Why do they hate us so much?'"
Overall, I cannot recommend this book (4.5 stars) or this series enough. I have followed Steiner on social media for years and was devastated to learn she was diagnosed with a brain tumor after submitting this book. My heart goes out to her and her recovery.
Debbiereadsbook (1310 KP) rated The Problem (Single Dad Support Group #1) in Books
May 30, 2020
bloody LOVED this!
Independent reviewer for Gay Romance Reviews, I was gifted the audio version of this book.
I'm turning this review on it's head, writing about the narrator first, cos, you know, I can, it's my review :-)
Michael Ferraiuolo has been a bit of an enigma for me, I either love his work, or hate it, I won't lie. But THIS time? I freaking LOVED it!
Alex has synesthesia, which means he sees his emotions in colour. The whole book, Alex was seeing how Laurence was affecting him, and he wasn't sure what it meant. The best bits of this book were when Alex was describing his colours/emotions, to Laurence, to himself. I have no doubt I would not have been so moved by those scenes, had I READ this book. Ferraiuolo nails it, he really does. Moved me to tears in places!
Laurence is solid, a good man, with his 16 year old son, Matthew. I liked how, very quicky, he was wanting more from Alex, not just for the sex(but PHEW!) no. But MORE. He has lived his life for his son, and in one meeting, Alex makes him see that he still has life to live, that he does not have to been locked away. Matthew is growing, making *quite literally* a life for himself. Laurence needs Alex, and rapidly, Alex sees that he needs Laurence too.
I loved the voices given to all the characters, but I especially enjoyed the voices given to the Support Group when they were chatting. It annoyed me a little bit at first, I will admit, but once I got used to the way the group chats were delivered, I loved them.
When the reason Alex behaved the way he did, before Laurence, becomes clear, I was out walking. And I stopped in the middle of the street, and cried. And cried to whole way through that bit. THEN, when other things happen?? I stopped in the middle of the street, and NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO came out my mouth, so loud, the woman across the road shouted to see if I was okay! I did NOT see that coming at me, no way, never in a million years!
So, yeah, loved the book, and loved the narration.
And now I'm left with a bit of a pickle! This is the only one of the series that is available in AUDIO, the books are out, all 6, but I don't like to flip from listening to reading in a series (or vice versa) So my pickle is, do I READ the next one? Or do I wait (im)patiently for the next one in audio? ARGH! Such decisions!
5 stars for the book
5 stars for the narration
5 stars overall
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
I'm turning this review on it's head, writing about the narrator first, cos, you know, I can, it's my review :-)
Michael Ferraiuolo has been a bit of an enigma for me, I either love his work, or hate it, I won't lie. But THIS time? I freaking LOVED it!
Alex has synesthesia, which means he sees his emotions in colour. The whole book, Alex was seeing how Laurence was affecting him, and he wasn't sure what it meant. The best bits of this book were when Alex was describing his colours/emotions, to Laurence, to himself. I have no doubt I would not have been so moved by those scenes, had I READ this book. Ferraiuolo nails it, he really does. Moved me to tears in places!
Laurence is solid, a good man, with his 16 year old son, Matthew. I liked how, very quicky, he was wanting more from Alex, not just for the sex(but PHEW!) no. But MORE. He has lived his life for his son, and in one meeting, Alex makes him see that he still has life to live, that he does not have to been locked away. Matthew is growing, making *quite literally* a life for himself. Laurence needs Alex, and rapidly, Alex sees that he needs Laurence too.
I loved the voices given to all the characters, but I especially enjoyed the voices given to the Support Group when they were chatting. It annoyed me a little bit at first, I will admit, but once I got used to the way the group chats were delivered, I loved them.
When the reason Alex behaved the way he did, before Laurence, becomes clear, I was out walking. And I stopped in the middle of the street, and cried. And cried to whole way through that bit. THEN, when other things happen?? I stopped in the middle of the street, and NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO came out my mouth, so loud, the woman across the road shouted to see if I was okay! I did NOT see that coming at me, no way, never in a million years!
So, yeah, loved the book, and loved the narration.
And now I'm left with a bit of a pickle! This is the only one of the series that is available in AUDIO, the books are out, all 6, but I don't like to flip from listening to reading in a series (or vice versa) So my pickle is, do I READ the next one? Or do I wait (im)patiently for the next one in audio? ARGH! Such decisions!
5 stars for the book
5 stars for the narration
5 stars overall
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**