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Ross (3284 KP) rated Skyward in Books

Nov 6, 2018  
Skyward
Skyward
Brandon Sanderson | 2018 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.6 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Sanderson's easy flowing narrative (0 more)
Overly geeky at times (like cringingly so) (0 more)
YA female Top Gun ... in space
*** Disclosure - I received a free advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***
Sanderson's new series is a foray into proper sci-fi, but written for the Young Adult market (which should not be read as a bad thing, just something of a warning that for once any white middle-aged men might have to put some effort into thinking about how the main character might feel. Similar to his super-hero Steelheart series (also outwith his Cosmere univers), the story follows a young person who has had a hard life, has a dream to be something and has put every effort into learning the knowledge needed to achieve that, and just need a little luck to go their way. Sadly, Spensa is the daughter of renowned "coward" Chaser, a fighter pilot who fled the thick of battle against The Krell (a mysterious alien race who regularly attack the surface of the planet that has become the human race's last stand) and was shot down for his desertion. Spensa has to battle against all the odds to get a place on the flight training scheme and work hard to stay there.
The action sequences are decent and regularly spaced throughout the book, both in the simulator training scenes and the actual battle sequences.
The plot itself is fairly typical, and more or less the plot of the Hot Shots film, but in space. There was a tremendous amount of mystery surrounding aspects of the world the human race come to inhabit, and their alien attackers, which was rather clumsily all blurted out in a nonsense bit of exposition in the final 3 pages or so.
As with a lot of sci-fi, Sanderson gets quite bogged down in the made-up science and technology that might exist in the future and this, alongside some of the dialogue, was a little too geeky for my tastes (the use of Jerkface as an insult was cringeworthy the first time but is then used throughout the book).
All in all, a well told sci-fi tale that could easily be picked up by the YA audience but likewise should appeal to older sci-fi readers as well.
  
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ClareR (5879 KP) Nov 6, 2018

I have this on my (frankly enormous) NetGalley shelf. I’m hoping to get round to it this month! I’m interested to see how it goes now! Thanks for the review/ preparation!!

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Ross (3284 KP) Nov 6, 2018

It is a decent book, Sanderson's writing style just flows so nicely and the characters are pretty well defined. I hope you enjoy!

Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville
Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville
2019 | Shooter, Strategy
The latest game in the popular Plants Vs Zombies series has arrived with Plants Vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville. The game continues the recent trend of the Third Person Shooter style of recent games vs the tactical strategy of the earlier games in the series.

Set in a vibrant and highly-detailed theme park; players go through various tutorial missions which provide instruction on everything from combat to customization as well as upgrades and all aspects necessary to survive the Zombie hordes.

The game cleverly divides gameplay between campaign and multiplayer by allowing players to use Launch Pads to access the Multiplay area of the park where you can battle with or against other online players.

The campaign is a fun and whimsical adventure where players have to do things such as increase their cool by gaining a new look in order to access a specific area.

Moving around a large open-world area complete with all sorts of characters, main, and side quests. From the Suburbs to the beach, and downtown, players will battle all kinds of dangerous and funny Zombies. There are the traditional ones, as well as ones who use traffic cones and window panes in order to block your attacks and absorb more damage. There are also more dangerous Zombies and players will be happy to see some old favorites like the Football Zombie.

Picking the right characters is key as I started with a Pea Shooter but upgraded to a large ear of corn that I dubbed “Colonel Corn” for my gameplay. There are other plants and customizations but I liked the rapid-fire attack that works better for me. There are also special abilities such as being able to flip a large distance which is key in avoiding combat and also firing a corn rocket to take out large hordes.

This is where the customization really shines as players can not only update their look and class; but also their abilities which is key to gaining the upper hand in the game.

Players who have been fans of the prior games in the series will see much to like in the game as the world is fun, visually appealing, and inviting and lots of fun to play.

The graphics and sound in the game are great and even after playing the previous games; this one blends old and new in a winning formula.
  
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Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
2016 | Action, Sci-Fi
Everything! (0 more)
In my top 5 Marvel movies
Contains spoilers, click to show
This is one of my favorite movies of all time. The only reason I didn't give it a 10 is because I did not care for the Baron Zemo angle. His reason for revenge was related to his family getting killed due to the actions of the Avengers. In the comics Zemo was a power and despot that was on the same level as Captain America when it comes to battle. This story was similar to the story arc in the Civil War comics. The government wants to control heroes because innocent people get killed in their battles trying to save mankind. The last battle they had with Ultron was the catalyst for the Sokovia accords. Oversight by the allied nations. We finally see Cap and Bucky reunited as friends but it is a little tricky at first. Bucky gets blamed for a terrorist action that he is innocent of. Zemo gets a hold of a old Hydra book that was used to brainwash Bucky and he uses it again on Bucky to carry out his plan. The "Civil War" begins when Tony agrees with oversight from the UN and Cap disagrees. The highligjt for me is seeing Spider-Man finally in the MCU. The action was great, the story was great and it had a profound impact on the MCU. It ended with Tony and Steve not being the best of friends and you see that affect in Infinity War. This movie is highly recommended by me