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James Koppert (2698 KP) rated The Last Kingdom in TV
Oct 31, 2019 (Updated Oct 31, 2019)
The books are bestsellers, here is the series
If you debating whether to watch this or not, if you haven't seen Vikings yet, ignore this, watch that first. It's one of the best series ever. However when you have watched it you will want more and you can come into this. This is still brilliant. A fascinating bloodthirsty and dangerous part of British history. The noveks have sold bucket loads. The only thing that lets it down is the lead actor should be a little scary as well as the hero and he's mainly just heroic. Still, it doesn't take away from the entertainment factor. I love this.
Josh Burns (166 KP) rated Berserker: Hell's Warrior (2004) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Reasonably fun if you like 80s style fantasy. (1 more)
Decent twist in the end.
A less polished Highlander, but with vikings
The first third of the film focuses on a conflict between Vikings and feels like a throwback to 80s fantasy movies. It takes the mythical Valykries and makes them into vampires basically, able to grant immortality and power through a bite.
Without spoiling details, a betrayal occurs that sets a rift between two brothers that are chosen for immortality and power. This rift leads to a conflict that spans centuries as they are reborn again and again to continually face off against each other. One on the name of Odin, the other for his own destiny. The film then jumps to modern times, where the conflict is still going.
The story isn't all that original, but it isn't bad, with a decent twist at the end. The acting for most of the cast is not great, but not bad. The music, however, is quite good.
Overall, it isn't a bad movie, but is severely hurt by production quality and some poor decisions in design. For example, it's difficult to take the protagonist,s enemies seriously when they are running around the city in bear skins and armor. The decision to add an odd and terrible looking glow effect to the Valykries at times or when immortals are killed, was another strike. Despite it's shortcomings, I don't regret watching it. The movie is fun for what it is, and I happen to like 80s fantasy, which whether purposely or not, it captures the feeling of to me.
Without spoiling details, a betrayal occurs that sets a rift between two brothers that are chosen for immortality and power. This rift leads to a conflict that spans centuries as they are reborn again and again to continually face off against each other. One on the name of Odin, the other for his own destiny. The film then jumps to modern times, where the conflict is still going.
The story isn't all that original, but it isn't bad, with a decent twist at the end. The acting for most of the cast is not great, but not bad. The music, however, is quite good.
Overall, it isn't a bad movie, but is severely hurt by production quality and some poor decisions in design. For example, it's difficult to take the protagonist,s enemies seriously when they are running around the city in bear skins and armor. The decision to add an odd and terrible looking glow effect to the Valykries at times or when immortals are killed, was another strike. Despite it's shortcomings, I don't regret watching it. The movie is fun for what it is, and I happen to like 80s fantasy, which whether purposely or not, it captures the feeling of to me.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated This Evening and The Morning in Books
Apr 9, 2021
Loved it!
46 of 250
Book
The Evening and the Morning ( 0.5 kingsbridge prequel )
By Ken Follet
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
It is 997 CE, the end of the Dark Ages. England is facing attacks from the Welsh in the west and the Vikings in the east. Those in power bend justice according to their will, regardless of ordinary people and often in conflict with the king. Without a clear rule of law, chaos reigns.
In these turbulent times, three characters find their lives intertwined. A young boatbuilder's life is turned upside down when the only home he's ever known is raided by Vikings, forcing him and his family to move and start their lives anew in a small hamlet where he does not fit in. . . . A Norman noblewoman marries for love, following her husband across the sea to a new land, but the customs of her husband's homeland are shockingly different, and as she begins to realize that everyone around her is engaged in a constant, brutal battle for power, it becomes clear that a single misstep could be catastrophic. . . . A monk dreams of transforming his humble abbey into a center of learning that will be admired throughout Europe. And each in turn comes into dangerous conflict with a clever and ruthless bishop who will do anything to increase his wealth and power.
I absolutely loved it! After reading the other Kingsbridge books I knew I would enjoy this but not as much as I actually did! From the start I was sucked in I soon got wrapped up in the characters the places and stories! Ken Follet certainly knows how to keep you entertained I was annoyed every time real life dragged me away! Very good prequel!
Book
The Evening and the Morning ( 0.5 kingsbridge prequel )
By Ken Follet
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
It is 997 CE, the end of the Dark Ages. England is facing attacks from the Welsh in the west and the Vikings in the east. Those in power bend justice according to their will, regardless of ordinary people and often in conflict with the king. Without a clear rule of law, chaos reigns.
In these turbulent times, three characters find their lives intertwined. A young boatbuilder's life is turned upside down when the only home he's ever known is raided by Vikings, forcing him and his family to move and start their lives anew in a small hamlet where he does not fit in. . . . A Norman noblewoman marries for love, following her husband across the sea to a new land, but the customs of her husband's homeland are shockingly different, and as she begins to realize that everyone around her is engaged in a constant, brutal battle for power, it becomes clear that a single misstep could be catastrophic. . . . A monk dreams of transforming his humble abbey into a center of learning that will be admired throughout Europe. And each in turn comes into dangerous conflict with a clever and ruthless bishop who will do anything to increase his wealth and power.
I absolutely loved it! After reading the other Kingsbridge books I knew I would enjoy this but not as much as I actually did! From the start I was sucked in I soon got wrapped up in the characters the places and stories! Ken Follet certainly knows how to keep you entertained I was annoyed every time real life dragged me away! Very good prequel!
Russell Evans (179 KP) rated Excalibur in Books
Mar 2, 2020
3rd and final part of the fantastic Warlord Chronicles!
Excalibur is the third and final book in the Warlord Chronicles series and is just a compelling and captivating as the first 2 books. (See my earlier reviews for the first 2 parts of this trilogy, ’The Winter King’ and ‘Enemy of God’)
Some epic battles and betrayals conclude this tale of Arthur, told by his loyal friend and Warlord Derfel, now an aged Christian Monk. Overall, the trilogy is a superbly realistic and gritty yet fictional account of the dark ages and the epic journey of Arthur and a magnificently strong cast of characters.
If you liked ‘The Vikings’ or ‘The Last Kingdoms’ series on TV, I would highly recommend that you give this trilogy a read – starting with The Winter King.
Some epic battles and betrayals conclude this tale of Arthur, told by his loyal friend and Warlord Derfel, now an aged Christian Monk. Overall, the trilogy is a superbly realistic and gritty yet fictional account of the dark ages and the epic journey of Arthur and a magnificently strong cast of characters.
If you liked ‘The Vikings’ or ‘The Last Kingdoms’ series on TV, I would highly recommend that you give this trilogy a read – starting with The Winter King.
Nikki Massey (8 KP) rated How to Train Your Dragon (2010) in Movies
Feb 12, 2019
I'm watching this film franchise in the wrong order, last first then this one, but better late to the party than never?!
The film took a little while to get going, a bit of a slow start, but then it started ramping up from there.
I guess knowing some of the future tales I tried to second guess what was about to happen, but was still surprised by a few twists and turns.
The Vikings battled dragons as they stole their livestock but then one boy turned his back on what he was expected to do and befriended a dragon. What will the other villagers think and can he, with the help of his friends, open their eyes to the truth.
A lovely feel good family film with some great morals on being kind to others and not judging a book by its cover. Well worth a watch.
The film took a little while to get going, a bit of a slow start, but then it started ramping up from there.
I guess knowing some of the future tales I tried to second guess what was about to happen, but was still surprised by a few twists and turns.
The Vikings battled dragons as they stole their livestock but then one boy turned his back on what he was expected to do and befriended a dragon. What will the other villagers think and can he, with the help of his friends, open their eyes to the truth.
A lovely feel good family film with some great morals on being kind to others and not judging a book by its cover. Well worth a watch.
Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated The Vikings (1958) in Movies
Mar 3, 2020 (Updated Mar 5, 2020)
In a productive period seeing him make four or five films a year, Douglas returned to work for Richard Fleischer in his pursuit for the great epic that would finally win him the Oscar. The Vikings was a star-studded spectacle that despite some memorable scenes between himself and Tony Curtis, falls a little flat as a satisfying film in entirety. A box office hit, but a critical flop, it has to be counted as somewhat of a failure, except for the fact it is one of the better known moments in his career, thanks largely to the powerful visual of Douglas with a dead eye and scar; proving you merely point a camera at him and get magic. My favourite trivia around this film is that Douglas offered a prize for best beard on the first day of shooting, only to turn up himself entirely clean shaven.
Russell Evans (179 KP) rated The Winter King in Books
Feb 27, 2020
Gritty and authentic take on the Arthurian Legends (3 more)
Feels like a true historical tale
Interesting characters
Gripping first part to a trilogy worth getting into
I would definitely recommend this Novel – the first book in the Warlord Trilogy. It retells the mythical story of King Arthur but in such a gritty and credibly realistic way, that it feels like a historical epic.
This story is told from the perspective of Derfel, a young soldier and loyal follower and friend of Arthur. There are many intriguing and complex characters that are woven into the tale. The battles are quite grisly, and things can be quite brutal at times, but I guess it would have been living and fighting through the dark ages.
As a Lord of the Rings fan, this is my next favourite ‘fantasy’ trilogy. If you liked ‘The Vikings’ or ‘The Last Kingdoms’ series on TV, I would highly recommend that you give this trilogy a read.
This story is told from the perspective of Derfel, a young soldier and loyal follower and friend of Arthur. There are many intriguing and complex characters that are woven into the tale. The battles are quite grisly, and things can be quite brutal at times, but I guess it would have been living and fighting through the dark ages.
As a Lord of the Rings fan, this is my next favourite ‘fantasy’ trilogy. If you liked ‘The Vikings’ or ‘The Last Kingdoms’ series on TV, I would highly recommend that you give this trilogy a read.
Russell Evans (179 KP) rated Enemy of God in Books
Feb 27, 2020
Continues the gripping Warlord Chronicles trilogy (1 more)
Great characters, compelling story.
See my review for the first book in the trilogy – The Winter King. If you’ve read that, I’m positive that you won’t need much convincing about this part – I will reassure you though – it’s just as good and gripping.
Enemy of God continues to tell the story of Arthur begun in The Winter King, showing Arthur’s efforts to unite the Britons against the Saxon invaders. Derfel’s tale continues and he becomes a champion of Arthur’s, finds love and embarks on a perilous quest to recover an ancient British treasure. There’s a lot of darkness and conspiracy thrown in too.
As a Lord of the Rings fan, this is my next favourite ‘fantasy’ trilogy. If you liked ‘The Vikings’ or ‘The Last Kingdoms’ series on TV, I would highly recommend that you give this trilogy a read – starting with The Winter King.
Enemy of God continues to tell the story of Arthur begun in The Winter King, showing Arthur’s efforts to unite the Britons against the Saxon invaders. Derfel’s tale continues and he becomes a champion of Arthur’s, finds love and embarks on a perilous quest to recover an ancient British treasure. There’s a lot of darkness and conspiracy thrown in too.
As a Lord of the Rings fan, this is my next favourite ‘fantasy’ trilogy. If you liked ‘The Vikings’ or ‘The Last Kingdoms’ series on TV, I would highly recommend that you give this trilogy a read – starting with The Winter King.
AT (1676 KP) rated When We Were Vikings in Books
Apr 13, 2020
I enjoyed When we were Vikings, but I had to take breaks from reading it, so it wasn't the fastest read for me on a personal level. I'm a parent of a special needs child, and personally, after dealing with my son all day, sometimes I could only read a couple of pages before needing a break. Like I said, that's just a personal thing. I did enjoy the story, and once I hit the major part of the story about halfway in, I didn't have to take as many breaks. Then there were more things going on in the story, rather than only focusing on Zelda's way of seeing things. I did not like the character of Marxy's mother at all, though. For me, I was almost ready to stop reading at one point because of her. Thankfully, she's wasn't a main character, that takes up a lot of time in the book. To me, what she was doing felt borderline abusive, if not fully abusive, considering the situation. I could've done without her part in the book, though I know it lays groundwork for other things down the road.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Last Kingdom (The Saxon Stories #1) in Books
Dec 28, 2022
225 of 230
Book
The Last Kingdom ( book 1)
By Bernard Cornwell
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Last Kingdom is set in the England of the ninth and tenth centuries. These were the years when the Danish Vikings had invaded and occupied three of England's four kingdoms, and when King Alfred, his son and grandson fought back and won the freedom of the country again. The story is seen through the eyes of Uhtred, a dispossessed English nobleman. Captured as a child and raised by the Danes, he now finds his allegiances divided. But the one thing he knows is that he wants to recover his father's land, the fort by the wild northern sea that we now know as Bamburgh.
Although this took me a while I absolutely loved it. I didn’t realise till I started reading that it was the inspiration for the tv show. I’m a huge fan of historical fiction and this was the perfect book. I’m looking forward to the rest of the series. I’m extremely grateful for the translation at the front of the book I would never have known those towns and cities in the old language.
Book
The Last Kingdom ( book 1)
By Bernard Cornwell
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Last Kingdom is set in the England of the ninth and tenth centuries. These were the years when the Danish Vikings had invaded and occupied three of England's four kingdoms, and when King Alfred, his son and grandson fought back and won the freedom of the country again. The story is seen through the eyes of Uhtred, a dispossessed English nobleman. Captured as a child and raised by the Danes, he now finds his allegiances divided. But the one thing he knows is that he wants to recover his father's land, the fort by the wild northern sea that we now know as Bamburgh.
Although this took me a while I absolutely loved it. I didn’t realise till I started reading that it was the inspiration for the tv show. I’m a huge fan of historical fiction and this was the perfect book. I’m looking forward to the rest of the series. I’m extremely grateful for the translation at the front of the book I would never have known those towns and cities in the old language.