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6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
How best to describe 'X-Wing: Wraith Squadron', the fifth book in the Star Wars series of books (loosely) based on the old video-games? I think the following exchange from the early part of the novel sums it up best (with Wedge speaking):

' " .. I'd originally thought that Rogue Squadron would be used opportunistically: a strike mission would reveal a ground-based weakness, and we'd have the training and supplies ot go down and perform the necessary ground mission. The way it turned out, we keep landing full-fledged commando missions. So I think we need another Commando X-Wing squadron, one where we choose pilots so as to have a full range of intrusion and subversion skills. Rogue Sqaudron was designed as a fighter unit first, commando unit second; this time, I want to go the other way around."

...

"I want pilots no one else want. Washouts. Pilots staring court-martials in the face. Trouble-makers and screw-ups." '

The rest of the novel deals, primarily, with the formation of that unit and their first mission, concentrating in particular on two members of that unit and their own internal battle against themselves.

While not the strongest of spin-off novels (and, maybe, slightly longer than it needs to be), this is still an enjoyable enough diversion for a couple of days light reading.
  
Blood of Elves
Blood of Elves
Andrzej Sapkowski | 2008 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.3 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
Great pace (2 more)
Countries, Wars and Politics all well described
Believable characters and understandable plotline.
Nothing. (0 more)
A magnificent start by Andrzej Sapkowk
I was a relative latecomer to The Witcher series of books, but gosh am I glad I found out about them.
I had only played the video games before then (and absolutely loved them, by the way). This kind of worked in my favour though, as once I started reading Blood Of Elves I already had a broad knowledge of the countries involved, the wars and battles that had occurred, and of course the lovely (and not so lovely) cast of characters within.
Andrzej Sapkowski's writing style was fluid throughout and kept the story moving at an enjoyable pace. Not once did I find myself thinking it was going too slow or too fast.
His descriptions of the different locales were top notch fantasy fayre, as were those of main characters Geralt, Yennefer, Ciri, Triss, Dandelion and it's bit players also.
To say I was enthralled by Sapkowksi's first Witcher story is putting it lightly. I could barely put it down and every little bit of spare time I had was devoted to reading Blood Of Elves. I am now working my way through Time Of Contempt (The second installment) and am finding it equally as enjoyable, if not more so.
  
Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade
Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade
Oliver Bowden | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics
10
9.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Delve deeper into the story of Altaïr (2 more)
A familiar story with new and unfamiliar events
Opening up the world of Assassin's Creed even further
The Untold Story of Altaïr
Though this is actually the 3rd installment to the franchise of novels written by Bowden, it follows the story of the very first Assassin's Creed game and protagonist. The story begins with an older Altaïr, already set after the events of the video game, which means that he is wiser, and now a leader rather than a follower.

As he prepares to make an announcement, two young residents of Masyaf, the home of the Assassin's brotherhood at the time, as one of them claims that he is going to tell his brother assassin, the story of the great master assassin that approaches his pupils and the residents of Masyaf. This story, though it could be exaggerated through the tales of someone other than Altaïr himself, is one that is very thrilling as we follow a protagonist who we often question the actions of, as he questions himself also.

Altaïr is one of my favourite Assassin's because he often questions the creed and bends the rules to suit his needs, but as the days, weeks, and years pass, he grows wiser and becomes one with the creed. There are twists and turns within the story that are unexpected and very intriguing. His story is incredible to witness and very thrilling to read, even when it is only a sequence of him resting between his journeys. We learn more about the past of Altaïr, about his life as a child within Masyaf and then his life in training to become the Assassin we all know him as.

Though the game holds up with graphics to this day, the game play is not to everyone's enjoyment as we become use to the more slick controls of the later games, so if you do not wish to play the video game due to these reasons, then I highly recommend the book, and should you play the game at any point afterwards, your experience will not be the same.
  
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
2017 | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is on of those films that has no business being as good as it is.
Released a whopping 22 years after the beloved original, it's existence feels like it should be firmly in the "money grab" territory of Hollywood, but that just simply isn't the case.

Firstly, it's not just a re hash of the original plot. This time around, four teenagers all in detention for one reason or another, come across an old, unrecognisable games console labelled 'Jumanji'. After booting up the game and selecting their desired characters, the group are sucked into the game world, and have to complete it from within if they want to escape with their lives.
When in the game, the teens take on the roles of the characters they selected, each with their own skill sets. It's a delight for any video game fans, with fun references and silly NPC jokes scattered around.

The four younger actors don't get a huge amount of screen time, but they're engaging enough when they are about, bit the stars are of course the four who are front and centre of all the advertising. The chemistry between Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Karen Gillan, Kevin Hart and Jack Black is fantastic and genuine. The script is tight and joke heavy, and every humourous line lands without fail. They all do a great job of awkward teenagers trapped inside the bodies of video game characters. Jack Black is a particular highlight, essentially playing an Instagram obsessed 18 year old girl.
The whole movie is pretty hilarious. It also carries a passive story of friendship and family, as the four very different people form a strong bond as the story progresses.
The action sequences are pretty thrilling as well, even if it is hard to not notice the excessive CGI at times.

WTTJ is a really enjoyable popcorn blockbuster. It's funny, silly, and has enough substance to it to get nicely invested in the characters. It even includes a subtle and tasteful nod to Robin Williams' character from 1995, and is a classy touch.
  
You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)
You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)
Felicia Day | 2016 | Biography
10
9.0 (12 Ratings)
Book Rating
Maybe you picked this up because you watched Buffy that one time and wanted to know what that red-headed chick who wasn't Willow was all about… or more likely, you are a fan of one of her many endeavors (and why shouldn’t you be?). She is a super-hardworking person who seems to be doing what she loves, and in my humble opinion, completely killing it. She shares her awkwardness and how even she fangirls when meeting famous people she loves.

How can I describe this book? Imagine talking to your best friend about everything in your life: your childhood, your hopes and fears, and most importantly all things geeky (comics, video games, and the internet). That is how I felt when I was reading this book. Yes, I was a fan of Felicia’s already but reading this book felt more like talking to your best friend than some impersonal narrative that you just picked up off the shelf at random. Felicia is witty, funny, and down to earth. (A bit neurotic, her words, but we still love her for it.) Her candor is endearing and makes the book incredibly relatable. Her love of video games, comics, crafting and just the simple art of creating definitely speaks to her readers (I know I definitely relate). Plus, the pictures peppered throughout are just adorable.

She took her life into her own hands and with an incredible amount of hard work, created Geek & Sundry. She filled the book with her life and quite a few really good pieces of advice (as well as motivational phrases). As I sit here in my exploding TARDIS skirt (thank you mom for helping me make it), embracing my quirkiness and inner geek, I hope Felicia would be proud. I hope that people are inspired by her book, like I am inspired and take a chance. Do what they love.

Check out all of her projects with Geek & Sundry, as well as past projects like my love Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, the show that started it all the Guild and her appearances on Supernatural! And if anyone could get me a signed copy of her book, I would love you forever. I take my book collection very seriously and would love to have this sitting on my shelf (rather than residing digitally in the nethersphere of my kindle.) Random fun fact, one of my exes and I used to sing My Eyes. I, of course, sang Penny’s part (and when I was alone I would also be Dr. Horrible, duh). It was my favourite song from the show and I’m still obsessed with it. I also found it on Sing (karaoke app, I spend too much time on there) just so that I could record it as a duet (and then sing both parts because why not?). Enough about me, go buy her wonderful book immediately and read it.
  
Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire
Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire
Kurt Andersen | 2017 | History & Politics
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Why do I have a feeling that the guy who wrote this just went on a rant and decided to put that whole rant into one giant ass book?

Don't get me wrong. This book has a couple of points, especially when he discusses religion and the Salem witch trails. However, when he starts getting into the more modern points of fantasy, either I didn't see it at all, or he was basically really poking fun at what the whole point of fantasy really is.

The title of the book is Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire. If he's going to use the word "Haywire" in a title, he better show pretty clear examples of why America is being flushed down the toilet. Poking fun at people cosplaying, playing video games, and being able to have fun at Disneyland or Disney World is not a point to say why America seems to be failing as a society. In fact, I can make a counterargument by saying that flights of fantasy in those contexts are actually forming the culture, not destroying it. Because of the evolution of entertainment (such as film, video games, etc.), it's easier to envision fantasy stories come to life. Before that, we had books, and no one was poking fun at books throughout this entire giant essay. Not only is that missing the forest for the trees, but it makes the argument of people being shown too much fantasy through visual mass media is a very shallow take on the topic of fantasy.

Also, the premise of the book talks about how people are arguing that Trump is ruining America because of his bullshit (and they're not wrong). I expected the book to discuss politics more in depth as a way to add onto the fantasyland argument. The book doesn't even do that, not even at the end when it "comes full circle" back to the Trump argument. If anything, the book kinda let it slide that it was for Trump and his radical ideas rather than finding flaws in them as people would expect. Look, if the book ended up explaining why Trump was trying to escape the Fantasyland argument, I'm all for reading that to make my own points. However, by just simply saying that Trump is being more realistic without any real reason, that also makes this essay a shallow writing. People want to read on why Trump has realistic views or not. If the point of this essay is talking about how fantastic ideas are plaguing a great nation, why not add that into the mix?

This essay was a real hit and miss for me. For something that's as thick as War and Peace, I expected this essay to have as juicy material as War and Peace, but it doesn't. It's just a 500 year rant on how "stupid" society can be, and that lost me as I finished the book.
  
The Last Wish
The Last Wish
Andrzej Sapkowski | 2008 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.5 (14 Ratings)
Book Rating
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#0.5 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3150137897">The Last Wish</a> - ★★★★

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For me, The Last Wish is the perfect introduction to start the Witcher series and meet Geralt of Rivia.

<b>Synopsis</b>

The Last Wish is the prequel to the Witcher series. In this book we are introduced to Geralt of Rivia, a Witcher - a man whose magic powers and strength training made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin. 

However, Geralt is not an ordinary killer. He hunts the monsters that bring fear to people and creatures that attack the innocent. 

But not everything is as seems, as some monsters are not evil, and not everything fair is good. In every fairy tale, there is a pinch of truth.

<b>My Thoughts:</b>

I loved the introduction of Geralt in this book. I have known Geralt from the video games, and then I watched the TV Show. Usually I am more attracted to the book characters rather than a movies/TV Show character, and this was no different. Even though, I have to admit that the video games and the TV Show are also extraordinary, when it comes to their characters. Geralt in this book is vivid and brave, and I was happy to follow him on the various adventures he went on. 

The book is written in multiple chapters, each containing a call for a quest, and the following chapter containing the quest itself. Each quest is a completely different topic, all featuring Geralt, and many side characters joining him as we move along in the story. 

Each chapter was magical on its own, and we get to meet various stories. We meet a girl that turned to a striga because of a curse. We encounter a beast hidden in a castle, a story that resembles the Beauty and the Beast. There are also stories that resemble the Snow White and Cinderella, all significantly darker and much more graphic in their retellings. I love how the author took those storylines and managed to create something much more sinister and cruel. Some of the stories also reminded me of the traditional Slavic folk tales, which brought back some nice feelings from my childhood too. 

The last few chapters were the ones I enjoyed the most. Especially the moment when we get to meet Yennefer for the very first time. I cannot wait to read more about her in the books. 

A truly beautiful and adventurous fantasy novel by Andrzej Sapkowski and published by Gollancz. I definitely recommend The Last Wish. 
  
Tomb Raider (2018)
Tomb Raider (2018)
2018 | Action, Adventure
Better than expected
As a video game film, this is actually one of the better ones out there. This isn't to say it's an amazing film, but as an adaptation it doesn't do too badly.

When it comes to Tomb Raider, my knowledge is limited. I haven't seen much of the more recent games, my experience is more related to the original with the assault course and the ability to lock the butler in the walk in freezer...


Alicia Vikander isnt a bad choice as Lara and I actually think she does look the part. However, I think there's something not quite right about her. I'm unsure if it's the slightly dodgy accent or just the material she's got to work with. I still think she's a better choice than Angelina Jolie though.


The CGI in parts of this is terrible and so obvious that there's been a green screen in place. The puzzles to solve are sometimes a little basic and simple and a little brainless which is a shame. The opening in London is also a little pointless, trying to provide a back story that isn't properly explained and it could have been cut out without issue, and there's also a load of flashbacks that aren't really necessary.


This is a vaguely entertaining film to a point and is watchable, I just feel like it could have been so much better.
  
The Walking Dead - A TellTale Games Series: Season 1
The Walking Dead - A TellTale Games Series: Season 1
2014 | Role-Playing
Amazing character development (3 more)
Great story
Emotional and incredible acting
It's fun
Some frame rate issues (3 more)
No difficulty options
Illusion of choice
Can't skip boring scenes after multiple playthroughs
I love you Clem!!
First off I want to say it's an incredible game and that's a thanks to some great story, incredible acting and amazing character development. I think we all thinking about lee and Clem! Lol

This is your typical telltale game. Point and click with QTE which is fun but the framerate issues can make those frustrating and there is an illusion of choice that don't really matter in the end.

I do find the game a bit easy at times which would make it more fun, especially on a repeat playthrough. Take heavy rain as an example. Higher difficulty they give more and quicker symbols to press during QTE.

Like I said the characters and acting are incredible. You will cry, I don't doubt that. They show so much growth through the series and if your going to get stuck in then you better prepare because it's coming into its fourth and final season so you got a long road ahead.

There is way too much zombies out there in video games, movies and TV but I do love this game and I have played multiple playthroughs but after a while it can get annoying when you can't skip the boring scenes.
  
Captain Disaster: The Damaris Touch
Captain Disaster: The Damaris Touch
Dave Seaman | 2017 | Humor & Comedy, Science Fiction/Fantasy
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Captain Disaster, inept spacefaring star of video games and short stories gets his own novella. After answering a distress call, things become rather too exciting for our erstwhile hero. Be prepared for the series of unlikely comedic events that ensue as he faces (almost) certain death.

There are books that take themselves seriously and there are those that don't. This is as firmly in the second group as the author's tongue is in his cheek. Filled with throwaway jokes galore, terrible groan out loud puns and slapstick antics this is a story to read for a good laugh.

The style is best described as 'free', Seaman swerving off at tangents to deliver a simple gag before returning to the story at hand. And that is the charm - there will be no deep introspection for the reader into what motivates the characters, just a vain attempt to keep ahead of the flow of jokes. Okay, not all of them hit, but like a rapid fire comedy routine that doesn't matter because if you didn't like that one there will be another one along in a minute. And yes perhaps there could be some tightening of the prose or plot here and there but that would definitely alter its character, perhaps too far towards serious. And that would never do.

So kick back, relax, set the lighting to 'mood' and the ship to autopilot. You've got some laughing to do