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Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm (World of Warcraft, #8) in Books

Aug 3, 2020  
The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm (World of Warcraft, #8)
The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm (World of Warcraft, #8)
Christie Golden | 2010
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
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#8 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3099365981">The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm</a> - ★★★★★

<img src="https://diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Book-Review-Banner-51.png"/>;

The The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm by Christie Golden is the eighth book in the World of Warcraft series. The series covers the lore of the characters that are featured in the popular video game World of Warcraft. This is the first book of the series I have read, as they can be read as standalones too. After reading it, I definitely want to read the rest of the series as well!

I received this book as a Christmas gift from my boyfriend, as we both enjoy the World of Warcraft video game. We played together for a while, but then stopped playing retail and started to play again when the Classic WoW came out. I am familiar with most of the lore in the game, but reading a full book about something that happens during this game (in this case - Cataclysm) is a whole new level of epic!

The Shattering has a focus on the events that happen before the Cataclysm, and the events that actually lead to it, from various character's perspectives, from both the Horde and the Alliance. We get to see the character's perspectives, choices and how even small things have a big impact on what's about to happen.

Get ready to meet some legendary characters: 

<b>Thrall, the Shaman</b>

When Thrall discovers the elements no longer heed the Shaman's call, he has to travel back to his birth place to seek answers, while leaving the leadership of the Horde with the orcs. 

<b><i>"Nature has its own rhythms and reasons. It does not adapt to suit us - we must change to accommodate it."</i></b>

<b>Garrosh, the Orc</b>

Great warrior with a fiery attitude, Garrosh is now in charge of the Horde while Thrall is away. Then the hostility with the Alliance starts to grow. Garrosh's approach is different that what Thrall would have done, and things are about to get more heated. 

<b><i>"But it is a work of a leader to hold all possibilities, even the unpleasant - even the unthinkable."</i></b>

<b>Prince Anduin</b>

Anduin finds himself conflicted about who he is and what his purpose is, when a new adventure starts for him. With the help of Jaina and other amazing characters, he slowly begins to realise where he truly belongs.

The story was amazingly written and very powerful! From the very first chapter, I was invested in the characters and the plot. I kept turning page after page until I finished the book. The characters are very much alive and real. They were all different in their own way which is quite hard to accomplish with so many characters involved. I think what I loved the most was how each character had their own purpose, choices to make and a lesson to learn. Even when wrong choices were made, the characters had their own valid reasoning behind their choices. 

<b>I highly recommend The Shattering if you are a fan of World of Warcraft, but also if you love adventure books and stories that tackle the battle between good and evil.</b>
  
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BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Avatar: The Way of Water (2021) in Movies

Jan 2, 2023  
Avatar: The Way of Water (2021)
Avatar: The Way of Water (2021)
2021 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
7
8.7 (10 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Strong Visuals - Weak Everything Else
See AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER on the biggest 3D Screen, with the best Sound System possible. It is a technical marvel…way ahead of anything that has, thus far, been seen on a movie screen.

It’s too bad the story (and characters) lag far behind.

Taking the audience back to the world of Pandora, AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER treads familiar territory as Director James Cameron returns us to this idyllic planet, with the natives living peacefully, in concert with the land, until the soldiers from Earth show up (again) to strip the planet of it’s native contents (again).

Cameron (TITANTIC) expands this 3D World, bringing the audience from the trees to the water - and what an expansion this is! It is a BEAUTIFUL film to watch and Cameron (as one would expect) expertly pushes the technological edges of the industry, bringing us stunning visuals underwater. It is this part of the more than 3 hour film that is worth the price of admission alone. It is a feast for the eyes.

But what Cameron (and his FOUR writers of the script - never a good sign) fail to do is to add interesting characters and stories to these amazing visuals. It is a pretty straight forward telling of Good (the native peoples) vs. Evil (the invading soldiers from Earth). There is no nuance or subtly whatsoever throughout this film.

Back from the first film are Sam Worthington (just as wooden and uninteresting), Zoe Saldana (just as underused) and Stephen Lang (just as one-note as the villain). Obviously, it is just their voices used - for they are all rendered as Pandorans via motion-capture - but they don’t have much to do except be one with the nature (the good guys) or destroy nature (the soldiers).

Joining the cast - and just as underused - are Cliff Curtis, CCH Pounder and, especially, Kate Winslet. Cameron brings in some really fine performers who have to spout wooden dialogue that would make George Lucas blush - all the while performing in motion capture suits. This movie could have been so much better had Cameron given these actors something better and more interesting to do.

The only exception to this is the young actress (so I thought) that portrayed Kiri - who is the daughter of the Sigourney Weaver character from the first film. This Pandoran was born under mysterious circumstances (Virgin birth? Do we have a Messiah?) and is more in tune with the nature of the world they live in. This young actress had the most interesting things to do and she absolutely nailed it, so I should not have been surprised to find out that this “young actress” was none other than - Sigourney Weaver.

Well done, Cameron and Weaver. You got me on this one.

This film (the second in what will be a trilogy - or maybe more) has a run time of over 3 hours - so be warned - but Cameron keeps things moving along at a sprightly pace, never lingering over the clunky dialogue, but stopping to watch the beautiful visuals along the way.

AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER is worth watching for the water and the stunning visuals…but not for much else.

Letter Grade: B+ (10 for the visuals, 5 for the story)

7 1/2 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)