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Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Divided Paths (Afterlife #4) in Books

Nov 12, 2019

Divided Paths (Afterlife #4)

Katrina Cope | 2019 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)

9.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Although the fourth book in the Afterlife series released, this serves as the back story to both Zacharius and to events in the related Supernatural Evolvement series. This can also be read as a stand alone or as an introduction to both series.

Zacharius is an angel used to fighting demons and protecting his friend Archangel Michael from danger. When Michael gives him an important mission he doesn't expect it to be protecting a young girl living on a remote farm. However he soon discovers that the girl may indeed be as special as Michael suspects.

This is a great read from cover to cover. After the jaded and somewhat embittered version of Zacharius in the earlier books, it is good to see him not only fully fit but a suitable angelic hero. This story answers a few of the questions left over from the two series it touches upon and further expands the world of angels, demons, witches and shape changers that Cope has managed to conjure.

The story isn't complex but that just allows the characters to stand out, particularly Zacharius and Ava for obvious reasons, but also the other players in the cast.

As usual with any of Cope's stories the only disappointment is getting to the last page and having to wait to see what happens next.

Kudos

Awix (3310 KP) rated Charlie's Angels (2019) in Movies

Dec 4, 2019

Charlie's Angels (2019)

2019 | Action, Adventure, Comedy

6.2

(23 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

Attempt to make the notably leer-tastic exploitation TV show into a piece of weaponised feminism ends up understandably conflicted, but it has bigger problems to worry about. Somebody wants to steal a maguffin with evil potential, Angels want to stop him, much whizzing about in Germany, Istanbul, and so forth.

Elizabeth Banks puts together a generic sub-Mission Impossible action thriller reasonably well, but when the gunfire and revving engines dies away you are just left with the sound of comic banter failing to spark and the occasional unsubtle you-go-girl message. The plot feels very familiar, and the rest doesn't do enough to cover up for this. Mixed work from the cast: Banks herself is working hard, Kristen Stewart proves she genuinely does have star quality, Naomi Scott can probably look forward to a healthy career playing the kooky best friend, and while Ella Balinska can deliver neither a joke nor a line of exposition to save her life, she is about nine feet tall which helps with the fight choreography. Patrick Stewart turns up and twinkles a lot; one presumes CGI has been used to erase the dollar signs in his eyes. Admittedly, I am probably not the target audience for this movie, but even so: too often this feels leaden when it should be light, and treacly when it should froth.