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KatieLouCreate (162 KP) rated Empire of the Vampire in Books
Jul 10, 2023
Empire of the Vampire
This book is not for the feint hearted. Not only is it decidedly grotesque and gruesome, but its also a monster of a book, coming in at 725 pages with another book on the way.
It has been twenty-seven long years since the last sunrise. For nearly three decades, vampires have waged war against humanity; building their eternal empire even as they tear down our own.
Gabriel de León is a silversaint: a member of a holy brotherhood dedicated to defending realm and church from the creatures of the night. But even the Silver Order couldn’t stem the tide once daylight failed us, and now, only Gabriel remains.
Imprisoned by the very monsters he vowed to destroy, the last silversaint is forced to tell his story. A story of legendary battles and forbidden love, of faith lost and friendships won, of the Wars of the Blood and the Forever King and the quest for humanity’s last remaining hope:
The Holy Grail.
The book is dark and gruesome, but also delightfully entertaining. Kristoff puts an original spin on the vampire world and created a deep, well-rounded character with the biggest chip on his shoulder. All the characters are well-developed, to be honest.
The humour, as expected, is dark. Which is what makes it so great. I found myself laughing out loud in parts. I loved the witty banter and insults from the characters.
My woe with this book was, though I enjoyed it, it did feel like I was reading a 725 page book. Sometimes the time flew, and others I found myself counting the pages wondering how much longer this was going to go on for. I think the story could have been shorter without losing anything vital.
Read if you like:
Adult fantasy
Legendary battles
Blood and gore/violence
Religious occult
Dark humour
Don't read if:
You are a child
And dont like:
Prolific swearing
Sexual Content
Violence
Religious Themes
Trigger warnings:
Anything mentioned above
Drug addiction
Child abuse
Homophobia
It reminds me of Interview With a Vampire meets Van Helsing...
It has been twenty-seven long years since the last sunrise. For nearly three decades, vampires have waged war against humanity; building their eternal empire even as they tear down our own.
Gabriel de León is a silversaint: a member of a holy brotherhood dedicated to defending realm and church from the creatures of the night. But even the Silver Order couldn’t stem the tide once daylight failed us, and now, only Gabriel remains.
Imprisoned by the very monsters he vowed to destroy, the last silversaint is forced to tell his story. A story of legendary battles and forbidden love, of faith lost and friendships won, of the Wars of the Blood and the Forever King and the quest for humanity’s last remaining hope:
The Holy Grail.
The book is dark and gruesome, but also delightfully entertaining. Kristoff puts an original spin on the vampire world and created a deep, well-rounded character with the biggest chip on his shoulder. All the characters are well-developed, to be honest.
The humour, as expected, is dark. Which is what makes it so great. I found myself laughing out loud in parts. I loved the witty banter and insults from the characters.
My woe with this book was, though I enjoyed it, it did feel like I was reading a 725 page book. Sometimes the time flew, and others I found myself counting the pages wondering how much longer this was going to go on for. I think the story could have been shorter without losing anything vital.
Read if you like:
Adult fantasy
Legendary battles
Blood and gore/violence
Religious occult
Dark humour
Don't read if:
You are a child
And dont like:
Prolific swearing
Sexual Content
Violence
Religious Themes
Trigger warnings:
Anything mentioned above
Drug addiction
Child abuse
Homophobia
It reminds me of Interview With a Vampire meets Van Helsing...
Grumpy Goblin (123 KP) rated Monstress, Volume 1: Awakening in Books
Jul 25, 2019
The artwork is just breathtaking (3 more)
A complex, yet enjoyable storyline
Brilliant layout
Great quality paper and printing
I could not get enough of this.. Absolutely amazing.
Contains spoilers, click to show
I enjoy reading GNs that aren't necessarily classed as mainstream and this kept popping up on adverts. I found a copy for £4.99 on world books and figured why not give it a try.
To say I'm happy I did Woupd be an understatement... On receiving it the beauty of the artwork on the front cover just grabbed me and the pictures online really don't do it justice.
Id like to say also, it's not one I'd those GNs that has full concept pieces on the front and back covers and maybe a few inside and then the main layouts are less detailed.. Each drawing is as beautiful as the last with a mix of steampunk and art deco merged into a dark styled piece of art.
The story complimented the art perfectly and I read it from front to back in one sitting.
The story is complex seeing conflict between humans and Arcanics and you can tell there is so much backstory just waiting to be added to further volumes. The single page introductions to certain parts of the Lore within the world was extremely well done and not too overwhelming.
The story is certainly not without shock factor, seeing what is portraid as young Arcanic children tortured, eaten and with missing limbs scattered through the pages as well as a fair amount of blood and gore.
Overall the whole experience into this new dark fantasy of war, magic and monsters has been amazing and I cannot wait to carry on with this series.
To say I'm happy I did Woupd be an understatement... On receiving it the beauty of the artwork on the front cover just grabbed me and the pictures online really don't do it justice.
Id like to say also, it's not one I'd those GNs that has full concept pieces on the front and back covers and maybe a few inside and then the main layouts are less detailed.. Each drawing is as beautiful as the last with a mix of steampunk and art deco merged into a dark styled piece of art.
The story complimented the art perfectly and I read it from front to back in one sitting.
The story is complex seeing conflict between humans and Arcanics and you can tell there is so much backstory just waiting to be added to further volumes. The single page introductions to certain parts of the Lore within the world was extremely well done and not too overwhelming.
The story is certainly not without shock factor, seeing what is portraid as young Arcanic children tortured, eaten and with missing limbs scattered through the pages as well as a fair amount of blood and gore.
Overall the whole experience into this new dark fantasy of war, magic and monsters has been amazing and I cannot wait to carry on with this series.
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Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Girl Upstairs [Audiobook] in Books
Dec 19, 2021
I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook and whilst I personally wouldn't call it a psychological thriller, it's more of a mystery, it kept my attention and wanting to go back to listen to just one more chapter.
The two main characters of Emily and Suzie have quite sad stories to tell but for very different reasons. The start of the book is told from Suzie's perspective and whilst it does start a little slow and you are wondering where this is going, once Emily's perspective comes in and it begins to switch between perspectives, it starts to get interesting and intriguing. I admit that I didn't particularly warm to Suzie at first but she grew on me as the story developed and I got to know her better.
There is minimal violence, no blood or gore just a constant uneasiness and sense of menace sitting there waiting to creep up on you and whilst the reveal was a surprise, I did have a bit of an inkling so not the shock that I was expecting.
What I thought made this audiobook was the narrator; she kept my attention with her dulcet tones and whilst she used the same voice for all characters, there wasn't a second where I didn't know who was speaking.
Would I have enjoyed this book more if it was a physical one? Well after reading other reviews, it looks like possibly not so I would definitely recommend the audio version if you enjoy character-driven, mysteries told by an excellent narrator.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited copy.
The two main characters of Emily and Suzie have quite sad stories to tell but for very different reasons. The start of the book is told from Suzie's perspective and whilst it does start a little slow and you are wondering where this is going, once Emily's perspective comes in and it begins to switch between perspectives, it starts to get interesting and intriguing. I admit that I didn't particularly warm to Suzie at first but she grew on me as the story developed and I got to know her better.
There is minimal violence, no blood or gore just a constant uneasiness and sense of menace sitting there waiting to creep up on you and whilst the reveal was a surprise, I did have a bit of an inkling so not the shock that I was expecting.
What I thought made this audiobook was the narrator; she kept my attention with her dulcet tones and whilst she used the same voice for all characters, there wasn't a second where I didn't know who was speaking.
Would I have enjoyed this book more if it was a physical one? Well after reading other reviews, it looks like possibly not so I would definitely recommend the audio version if you enjoy character-driven, mysteries told by an excellent narrator.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited copy.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Studio 666 (2022) in Movies
Apr 6, 2022
If you like Foo Fighters, if you like metal, if you like The Evil Dead, then Studio 666 will be right up your street.
Considering that none of them are actors, the whole band do a pretty decent job here. Even the more awkward moments are played off nicely with a frequently funny script. The Foos have a well documented history of goofy music videos with a specific brand of humour, and Studio 666 definitely carries the same vibe over its feature length runtime. There are some familiar faces peppered throughout to pad up the cast. Jeff Garlin appears, being very Jeff Garlin. Leslie Grossman from American Horror Story, up-and-coming scream queen Jenna Ortega, and bonafide legend John Carpenter bring the horror credentials. A cameo from Lionel Richie (alongside a legit jump scare) and Slayer's Kerry King cover the music side of things, and the comedy is represented by the likes of Whitney Cummings and Will Forte. It's a pretty decent cast that surround Dave and the boys.
After the initial set up, proceedings do drag a fair bit in the middle, before everything goes full blown batshit. The gore in this movie is pretty ridiculous, and practically done for the most part with some impressive effects work. There's one kill in particular involving a chainsaw which is easily one of the gnarliest I've seen in a while. Even the CG demons don't look too shabby. As mentioned earlier, The Evil Dead has a huge part to play here, and the film is clearly influenced by it and its sequel, from the gratuitous blood sprays (and a blood filled lightbulb) to the way certain shots are framed, to an evil book made of human flesh, the whole project feels like one big homage.
Studio 666 is silly, visceral, gory fun, full of music industry jokes, a clear cut love for the horror genre, and a disgustingly riffy soundtrack. It could have quite easily been 15-20 minutes shorter, but it's a minor qualm that won't stop it from surely becoming a cult classic.
Considering that none of them are actors, the whole band do a pretty decent job here. Even the more awkward moments are played off nicely with a frequently funny script. The Foos have a well documented history of goofy music videos with a specific brand of humour, and Studio 666 definitely carries the same vibe over its feature length runtime. There are some familiar faces peppered throughout to pad up the cast. Jeff Garlin appears, being very Jeff Garlin. Leslie Grossman from American Horror Story, up-and-coming scream queen Jenna Ortega, and bonafide legend John Carpenter bring the horror credentials. A cameo from Lionel Richie (alongside a legit jump scare) and Slayer's Kerry King cover the music side of things, and the comedy is represented by the likes of Whitney Cummings and Will Forte. It's a pretty decent cast that surround Dave and the boys.
After the initial set up, proceedings do drag a fair bit in the middle, before everything goes full blown batshit. The gore in this movie is pretty ridiculous, and practically done for the most part with some impressive effects work. There's one kill in particular involving a chainsaw which is easily one of the gnarliest I've seen in a while. Even the CG demons don't look too shabby. As mentioned earlier, The Evil Dead has a huge part to play here, and the film is clearly influenced by it and its sequel, from the gratuitous blood sprays (and a blood filled lightbulb) to the way certain shots are framed, to an evil book made of human flesh, the whole project feels like one big homage.
Studio 666 is silly, visceral, gory fun, full of music industry jokes, a clear cut love for the horror genre, and a disgustingly riffy soundtrack. It could have quite easily been 15-20 minutes shorter, but it's a minor qualm that won't stop it from surely becoming a cult classic.
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Swamp Thing in TV
Jul 7, 2020
One of DC's Current Bests
Swamp Thing is a 2019 superhero horror/drama tv series developed by Gary Dauberman and Mark Verheiden with Executive Producers James Wan, Len Wiseman and Michael Clear. It was produced by Big Shoe Productions, Inc., Atomic Monster Productions, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television and distributed by Warner Bros. Entertainment. The show stars Crystal Reed, Virginia Madsen, Andy Bean, Derek Mears, Jessica Beals, and Will Patton.
Abby Arcane (Crystal Reed) returns to her hometown of Marais, Louisiana investigating a deadly swamp-borne virus for the CDC . She develops a bond with Alec Holland (Andy Bean), a disgraced scientist who dies tragically soon after, but Holland may not be dead after all, as Abby discovers the mysteries of the swamp transform him into Swamp Thing.
This show is really cool. It makes me want to go back and watch the old movies to compare how they hold up. I was amazed with how dark they kept the story with the rating being TV-MA and there being so much blood and gore. The actors are great and there are some amazing performances but I also feel that some characters are not introduced well and just kind of come out of nowhere. They feel kind of unnecessary or just extra but I love the tone and horror vibe the show has going and what feels like a bigger story arc they are trying to setup with "the Green" and "the darkness" in the swamp of Marais. The visual effects are really top notch and Swamp Thing himself looks impressive. I give this show a 9/10 and it also gets my "Must See Seal of Approval".
I just really hope it doesn't stay cancelled and that they get another season, it really deserves it.
Abby Arcane (Crystal Reed) returns to her hometown of Marais, Louisiana investigating a deadly swamp-borne virus for the CDC . She develops a bond with Alec Holland (Andy Bean), a disgraced scientist who dies tragically soon after, but Holland may not be dead after all, as Abby discovers the mysteries of the swamp transform him into Swamp Thing.
This show is really cool. It makes me want to go back and watch the old movies to compare how they hold up. I was amazed with how dark they kept the story with the rating being TV-MA and there being so much blood and gore. The actors are great and there are some amazing performances but I also feel that some characters are not introduced well and just kind of come out of nowhere. They feel kind of unnecessary or just extra but I love the tone and horror vibe the show has going and what feels like a bigger story arc they are trying to setup with "the Green" and "the darkness" in the swamp of Marais. The visual effects are really top notch and Swamp Thing himself looks impressive. I give this show a 9/10 and it also gets my "Must See Seal of Approval".
I just really hope it doesn't stay cancelled and that they get another season, it really deserves it.
Connor Sheffield (293 KP) rated Vikings - Season 1 in TV
May 15, 2017
Historically Accurate in terms of culture (2 more)
Doesn't hold back on the gore and grim nature of Vikings
Great Character development
A Historically accurate fantasy series
Vikings was a show that I didn't begin watching until it was already 3 seasons in. However it is a show that I instantly fell in love with because it was very different from any show like it.
Many shows these days such as Game Of Thrones and Vikings, etc. are becoming more daring with reaching a specific audience rather than the wider audience gained through less graphically violent shows. These shows are not afraid to show us a blade slicing through someones flesh or the blood pouring out of the wounds.
Vikings, as known throughout history, have been recorded as violent and brutish warriors who slaughtered hundreds of men and women during their travels to England and other European lands. The show does not hold back when it comes to portraying their brutality in battle. It is not all brutality and war though, as the drama aspect of this show, is shown through the main cast in their homeland of Scandinavia.
Ragnar is definitely a great character to follow as we watch him rise to become Jarl of his home town. Portrayed by Travis Fimmel (Warcraft: The Beginning / The Baytown Outlaws), the character of Ragnar Lothbrok is one we see develop in many different ways. Based upon the legend of a man of the same name, who, though recorded throughout history, is a character that some historians are unsure existed, thought his sons are definitely recorded to have existed. The only way I can explain this is that his legend is so incredible that there are some who chose to believe it and others who chose to believe it is simply stories made up by travelers and poets.
Either way, this show is a brilliant fantasy drama that combines fiction with historical accuracy. This first season follows Ragnar as he begins his journey to defy the Jarl of Kattegat and sail towards England to raid, pillage and bring back treasure unlike anything the north had ever seen.
The soundtrack to the series is also brilliant and really brings the scenes of the films to life, and give them a beautiful atmosphere that sucks you into the moment, and leaves you on the edge of your seat.
With a great cast, excellent writers and great directing and cinematography, Vikings is beautiful, thrilling and horrifying and certainly, in my opinion, one of the greatest shows I have ever watched.
Many shows these days such as Game Of Thrones and Vikings, etc. are becoming more daring with reaching a specific audience rather than the wider audience gained through less graphically violent shows. These shows are not afraid to show us a blade slicing through someones flesh or the blood pouring out of the wounds.
Vikings, as known throughout history, have been recorded as violent and brutish warriors who slaughtered hundreds of men and women during their travels to England and other European lands. The show does not hold back when it comes to portraying their brutality in battle. It is not all brutality and war though, as the drama aspect of this show, is shown through the main cast in their homeland of Scandinavia.
Ragnar is definitely a great character to follow as we watch him rise to become Jarl of his home town. Portrayed by Travis Fimmel (Warcraft: The Beginning / The Baytown Outlaws), the character of Ragnar Lothbrok is one we see develop in many different ways. Based upon the legend of a man of the same name, who, though recorded throughout history, is a character that some historians are unsure existed, thought his sons are definitely recorded to have existed. The only way I can explain this is that his legend is so incredible that there are some who chose to believe it and others who chose to believe it is simply stories made up by travelers and poets.
Either way, this show is a brilliant fantasy drama that combines fiction with historical accuracy. This first season follows Ragnar as he begins his journey to defy the Jarl of Kattegat and sail towards England to raid, pillage and bring back treasure unlike anything the north had ever seen.
The soundtrack to the series is also brilliant and really brings the scenes of the films to life, and give them a beautiful atmosphere that sucks you into the moment, and leaves you on the edge of your seat.
With a great cast, excellent writers and great directing and cinematography, Vikings is beautiful, thrilling and horrifying and certainly, in my opinion, one of the greatest shows I have ever watched.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Greenwater in Books
Oct 20, 2018
I am a massive fan of K R Griffiths having read several of his other books so when I heard Greenwater was being released, I didn't hesitate to pre-order it and eagerly awaited its release. I was even sent an advance copy by the author, for which I am grateful, so now I have 2 copies ☺️
Mr Griffiths knows how to write a story and this one is no exception with the added bonus of an unexpected ending. I do have a little gripe in that there is quite a lot of introspection by the characters which, although gave insight into their thought processes and circumstances, I found there was a bit too much which took me away from the action at times. Having said that, Mr Griffiths has a knack of creating characters that get in your head whether you are either rooting for them or you are hoping for their demise to be quick and painful and there are both types in this book although I have to admit that there were more of the latter!
There is rather a lot of gratuitous violence, blood and gore so if you don't like that sort of thing, I wouldn't recommend you read it.
Overall, a pretty good read but not as good as some of Mr Griffiths' other works so I highly recommend you look at his back catalogue and give them a go.
Mr Griffiths knows how to write a story and this one is no exception with the added bonus of an unexpected ending. I do have a little gripe in that there is quite a lot of introspection by the characters which, although gave insight into their thought processes and circumstances, I found there was a bit too much which took me away from the action at times. Having said that, Mr Griffiths has a knack of creating characters that get in your head whether you are either rooting for them or you are hoping for their demise to be quick and painful and there are both types in this book although I have to admit that there were more of the latter!
There is rather a lot of gratuitous violence, blood and gore so if you don't like that sort of thing, I wouldn't recommend you read it.
Overall, a pretty good read but not as good as some of Mr Griffiths' other works so I highly recommend you look at his back catalogue and give them a go.
Sarah (7799 KP) rated Deadpool 2 (2018) in Movies
May 31, 2018
More Marvel films should be like this
Deadpool really makes me want to see more Marvel films like this. It's refreshing to watch a more "adult" Marvel film, with the violence and rude humour and aside from Logan, Deadpool is the only film to have ventured into this adult territory.
That's not to say it always works, as sometimes the jokes are a little too crude or offensive. But for the most part Deadpool 2 is pretty funny and even verging on hilarious at times, and the blood and gore is actually great to see. The plot itself is maybe a tad predictable, but it more than makes up for it with everything else. The title credits, post credits scene and a lot of the tongue in cheek references are particularly hilarious. The soundtrack is eclectic and a bit bonkers, but Deadpool a manages to pull it off.
The cast and characters are fantastic, both the returning favourites (I love Dopinder) and some of the new cast too. Josh Brolin has always been a favourite and he does very well in this, Deadpool even managed to throw in a genius reference to Thanos. Zazie Beetz too is a great new addition. There are also some brilliant cameos in this, which I won't spoil for anyone who hasn't seen it.
My main problem with this film is that parts of it are way too serious and sombre and these scenes really bring down the tone of the film. They do need something serious, but I think with this they've gone a little too heavy handed which is a shame.
That's not to say it always works, as sometimes the jokes are a little too crude or offensive. But for the most part Deadpool 2 is pretty funny and even verging on hilarious at times, and the blood and gore is actually great to see. The plot itself is maybe a tad predictable, but it more than makes up for it with everything else. The title credits, post credits scene and a lot of the tongue in cheek references are particularly hilarious. The soundtrack is eclectic and a bit bonkers, but Deadpool a manages to pull it off.
The cast and characters are fantastic, both the returning favourites (I love Dopinder) and some of the new cast too. Josh Brolin has always been a favourite and he does very well in this, Deadpool even managed to throw in a genius reference to Thanos. Zazie Beetz too is a great new addition. There are also some brilliant cameos in this, which I won't spoil for anyone who hasn't seen it.
My main problem with this film is that parts of it are way too serious and sombre and these scenes really bring down the tone of the film. They do need something serious, but I think with this they've gone a little too heavy handed which is a shame.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated 300: Rise of an Empire (2014) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Seven years have passed since Frank Miller’s classic Graphic Novel 300 was adapted into a hit film and made a star of the largely unknown Gerard Butler.
The follow up film, “300 Rise of an Empire” is both a sequel and a prequel to the original film as it takes place before and after the events of the first film and involves Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton), a general from Athens who is tasked with defeating the invading Persian navy with only a handful of soldiers and ships who years earlier at the Battle of Marathon put the events of the two films in motion with his actions on the battlefield.
The film also chronicles the rise of the mortal turned god Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his brutal right hand Artemesia (Eva Green), who plays a deadly game against the Greeks and Themistocles based on a long standing desire for revenge against the Greeks despite being Greek herself.
While the film is slow getting started as there is a lot of back story and character introductions to chronicle, the film does start off nicely with the bloody battle of Marathon and then sets up several battles along the way.
Lena Headey is the only returning character of note aside from Xeres and she does a good job in her limited time as the Queen of Sparta who must make hard decisions for her people.
The film uses the same graphical style of the previous film and while there is tons of blood and splatter, it is done with CGI and this helps diminish the impact of seeing copious amounts of blood and gore flying through the air during the numerous battles.
The 3D in the film is effective and seeing the embers from the fires float around was a nice touch.
The cast was engaging and entertaining despite being largely unknown and Stapleton does a nice job with the lead as he does not try to recreate the performance of Butler and instead focuses on his own character.
While it plays out largely like it is, a film version of a comic, Zack Snyder who produced the film and wrote the screenplay has done a good job with the source material. Director Noam Murro keeps the action flowing and gives a nice mix of visuals and character to overcome some of the issues with plot and pacing.
In the end, the film is an enjoyable action film and a worthy follow up to the original which sets the stage well for future films.
http://sknr.net/2014/03/07/300-rise-of-an-empire/
The follow up film, “300 Rise of an Empire” is both a sequel and a prequel to the original film as it takes place before and after the events of the first film and involves Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton), a general from Athens who is tasked with defeating the invading Persian navy with only a handful of soldiers and ships who years earlier at the Battle of Marathon put the events of the two films in motion with his actions on the battlefield.
The film also chronicles the rise of the mortal turned god Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his brutal right hand Artemesia (Eva Green), who plays a deadly game against the Greeks and Themistocles based on a long standing desire for revenge against the Greeks despite being Greek herself.
While the film is slow getting started as there is a lot of back story and character introductions to chronicle, the film does start off nicely with the bloody battle of Marathon and then sets up several battles along the way.
Lena Headey is the only returning character of note aside from Xeres and she does a good job in her limited time as the Queen of Sparta who must make hard decisions for her people.
The film uses the same graphical style of the previous film and while there is tons of blood and splatter, it is done with CGI and this helps diminish the impact of seeing copious amounts of blood and gore flying through the air during the numerous battles.
The 3D in the film is effective and seeing the embers from the fires float around was a nice touch.
The cast was engaging and entertaining despite being largely unknown and Stapleton does a nice job with the lead as he does not try to recreate the performance of Butler and instead focuses on his own character.
While it plays out largely like it is, a film version of a comic, Zack Snyder who produced the film and wrote the screenplay has done a good job with the source material. Director Noam Murro keeps the action flowing and gives a nice mix of visuals and character to overcome some of the issues with plot and pacing.
In the end, the film is an enjoyable action film and a worthy follow up to the original which sets the stage well for future films.
http://sknr.net/2014/03/07/300-rise-of-an-empire/