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Wolvenguard (Gen-Heirs: The Guardians of Sziveria #7)
Wolvenguard (Gen-Heirs: The Guardians of Sziveria #7)
Sarah Westill | 2023 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
WOLVENGUARD is the seventh book in the Gen-Heirs: The Guardians of Sziveria series. It does follow on from the previous books, so I would recommend you read those first, otherwise, you will be lost in the story arc.

Cia is a woman older in experience than her nineteen years. She has faced - and lost - too much, more than older people have. She is also focused on vengeance? Revenge? Something else? Take your pick. Whichever word you choose will be the right one. She is impetuous and quick-witted and will do whatever it takes to get her man, and you can decide for yourself which man I'm on about!

Deklan is the Wolvenguard, bonded to three wolves of very distinct personalities. He is restrained and methodical, well aware of how others see him, and has his own past baggage to contend with. When he is sent after an escaped prisoner and Cia, he will stop at nothing to bring them both back.

Oh, boy. Where to start? Can I just simply say I loved it all and leave it at that? No? Okay, then.

First of all, the relationship between Cia and Deklan. It takes time as Deklan has his issues to work through. Luckily for them both, his dad is on hand with helpful advice. I loved how it was all there from the start, but not an easy ride. Their relationship takes time to build, to really become all it could be. And, trust me, there's still room even after the book is finished. I'd love to see more of these two in future books, just as the others have made cameos here.

Secondly, the wolves. How gorgeous are they? And how well described? I will admit to being a little surprised when it came to the bond though. Because of how one of them reacted when he first met Cia, I thought it would be him. But I was wrong and it was perfect! Especially Markus' comment at the end.

Which leads me to the third - MARKUS AND BELLA ARE HERE!!!! If you follow my reviews, you know I am LOVING the series Bella and her Beast Master. Well, guess what? This series takes place after that one, so I got a sneaky peek into their future. I can't tell you how much I loved it when everything slotted into place.

Anyway, Voklane is next. The mysterious man who is always on hand with a plan. As will all books in this series, I honestly can't wait!

Simply outstanding, but please read from the beginning of the series. You won't regret it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me.

** 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!
Dec 1, 2023
  
The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019)
The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019)
2019 | Adventure, Animation, Comedy
The hidden truth of those dogs, cats, and other four-legged friends you care about continues. More like a three episode animated series than a 80 minute feature film, The Secret Life of Pets is a collection of three interconnected stories, a Pup Furtion with Chloe as the wise Paul and four wolves instead of just Winston Wolf. First, Max (now voiced by Patton Oswald) and Katie have a new master, the baby/toddler Liam. Parenthood give Max an anxiety disorder turning him into a canine version of Marlin protecting his yound ward from all the dangers of New York City instead of the Great Barrier Reef. Katie and new hubby take Max and Duke to the country for some relaxation where Max meets alpha dog Rooster who teaches our old dog new tricks. The second story is Gidget who is entrusted with Max's toy Busy Bee and loses it in the apartment of a cat lady. Gidget is given lessons in cattitude by Chloe to save Busy Bee. Last up, Snowball who moonlights as a costumed hero meets a femme fatale Daisy who wants Snowball to save a circus tiger from an abusive Russian. For a supposed family feature, there is a lot of animal cruelty on display whether intentional or not. I cannot support any film without regard for the safety of its animal cast. Therefore, avoid Secret Life of Pets and watch Aladdin a second time.
  
Man on Fire (2004)
Man on Fire (2004)
2004 | Action, Drama, Mystery

"Man on Fire, I think what Tony Scott did was ahead of his time, revolutionary. I mean, as far as how he shot it and how he used and maximized his ability to shape a film with sound. He would loop in, like, tiger, animal noises with Lupita Ramos’ scream. He put in a foreshadowing scene, like when we first see Creasy in the cab with the beard, and he flashes to the end when he dies, and then he flashes back to the cab scene, and we didn’t even know. It took me like four times to realize, “Oh, that was at the end!” And just getting introduced to Mexico in that way, how he captured it. How he captured the performances of Christopher Walken and Mr. Washington. It was like an indie film, and then it turned into this beautiful action film in the same movie. To me it was the perfect film. It was the perfect balance of art and commerce. You could sell this thing, but again, like Dances with Wolves, he didn’t compromise anything for the sake of story. Again, how he used language, too., When they’re speaking Spanish, but how he kind of had it where you can read the subtitles — how he did that, and how he mixed sounds and mixed music. I think it’s a perfect film. I love that film. I really do."

Source
  
National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)
National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)
1978 | Comedy

"I’m going to break my rules for this one, and just put in one old movie. I still think that Animal House is misunderstood, although I do increasingly read about a generation of comedians saying it is the great film. Because I think it’s a brilliant comedy, with brilliant acting, with everybody at their best – Karen Allen at her cutest, Tim Matheson at his handsomest, John Belushi at his most mono-syllabic. So these extraordinary comic performances with just a series of amazing scenarios with amazing set-ups with the horse and the chainsaw, the dead girlfriend, them going to the toga party, and just everything about it. It’s boiled down to the funniest joke scenarios that there could possibly be. That fantastic Elmer Bernstein score, which could be from Patton. “It seems to me like a really great, classic, funny character movie hiding in wolves clothing, pretending to be a big stupid old generic college movie, but it actually invented the genre, and I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a funnier version of those movies. Certainly when I was doing The Boat That Rocked, it was M*A*S*H on the one hand – very casual, conversational, just guys doing a weird job – and Animal House on the other – with big characterisations and set-pieces.. So we’ve got four moderns and one slightly older. Can I have one more? Am I allowed? Just for sorrow?"

Source
  
Harry Potter Trading Card Game
Harry Potter Trading Card Game
2001 | Card Game, Collectible Components, Fantasy, Fighting, Book
Gameplay (3 more)
Variety of Characters
Variety of Card
Game Length
Potential costs (0 more)
Great game, but costs could add up.
Firstly, this is a great game, for seasoned gamers or beginners; very quick and easy to play and understand.

The aim of the game is a simple one, to empty your opponents deck. Simple as that. This is done by choosing a character (each with a unique special skill), and playing creature, spell and item cards to attack their deck.

The range of spells are superb, with everything from forgotten spells from the books, to flipendo, best remembered from the 2001 PS1 Philosophers Stone game. The range of beasts could be better, but as this is only based on the first book, the range could be considered excellent, including creatures including Devil's Snare, Fluffy, Fang, Hounds, Boa Constrictors, Wolves, Trolls and anything you can think of when it comes to the first film/book.

The only issue nowadays is potential costs. As this is out-of-print and nearly 20 years old, cards are a bit of a nuisance to find and expensive when you do find them. Small lots of cards can be found on ebay for a reasonable price, but if you're after individual cards, costs could easily mount up with cards starting at 99p and going up to £5 or more for some of the rarer cards.

Overall though, a great game, and well worth getting a starter set and a few extras :)