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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Crown of Midnight in Books

Aug 25, 2019 (Updated Apr 21, 2024)  
Crown of Midnight
Crown of Midnight
Sarah J. Maas | 2013 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
9.1 (48 Ratings)
Book Rating
73 of 220
Book
Reread
Crown of Midnight ( Throne of Glass 2)
By Sarah J Maas
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Never trust an assassin.

Celaena's story continues in this second book in the #1 bestselling Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas.

Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become the King's Champion. But she is far from loyal to the crown. Though she goes to great lengths to hide her secret, her deadly charade becomes more difficult when she realises she is not the only one seeking justice. Her search for answers ensnares those closest to her, and no one is safe from suspicion - not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a princess with a rebel heart.

Then, one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie ... and what she is willing to fight for.

This is a reread for me and I loved it more the second time round if that’s at all possible. When rereading a book you see all the bits and think well crap I missed that the first time, also this time despite knowing a certain part was coming it was still emotional. Absolutely love this series.
  
    Marvel Dice Throne

    Marvel Dice Throne

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    Tabletop Game

    In Marvel Dice Throne , you become one of eight of Marvel's most famous heroes, including Black...

A Murderer’s Guide to Mardi Gras
A Murderer’s Guide to Mardi Gras
Ellen Byron | 2026 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Did Ricki Join a Krewe with a Killer?
Mardi Gras season has hit the city. It’s the first since Ricki moved, and she’s gotten caught up in the fever. It helps that her boyfriend, celebrated chef Virgil Morel, is being named the king of the Krewe of Chew, so many of their friends from Bon Vee are joining them. However, the captain of the krewe is an egotistical bully. And those are his good qualities. After leaving one of the events, Ricki and Virgil stumble upon his dead body. The victim’s wife is the police’s prime suspect, but Ricki has become friends with the woman, and she doesn’t believe it. The problem is, the number of suspects in the krewe are numerous. Can Ricki figure out what really happened?

While a lot happens here, I didn’t feel the pacing of the mystery was a strong as it could be. But this is a fun mystery, and I loved the climax when I got there. I knew very little about Mardi Gras, but that’s fine since Ricki was learning right along with me. I enjoyed meeting the new characters and got a kick out of some of the antics of the regulars. Developments in the ongoing storyline helped me really get to know some of the regulars better. This is another entertaining cozy from Ellen Byron that will entertain you whether you already love Mardi Gras or are new to the season.
  
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Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Captain Marvel (2019) in Movies

Apr 2, 2019 (Updated Apr 2, 2019)  
Captain Marvel (2019)
Captain Marvel (2019)
2019 | Action, Adventure
Blockbuster Fun (1 more)
SFX
Marvellous
I am usually there to see a Marvel movie on day 1, unfortunately though with this film there was a load of bias and negative mentality surrounding it's release. To be honest discussing this movie seemed like a volatile minefield immediately after it's release and it put me off going to see it for a while. Instead I decided to wait a couple of weeks for the dust to settle before going into it. The main reason for this was that I didn't want my experience of the movie to be tarnished by some bitter neckbeard's opinion on the other side of the planet. It is unfortunate that I felt repelled from the movie because of a loud angry minority, but in hindsight I am glad that I waited to see Captain Marvel, because I got to see it in with an untainted mind-set as the filmmakers most likely intended.

I had a lot of fun with this movie, far more than I expected to based on the trailers. Captain Marvel is a great space hopping romp that will put a smile on your face in spite of a few minor shortcomings. The action is great throughout and every fight sequence is exciting and impressive to watch unfold. The CGI is also incredible too, from the vast space shots to the impeccable de-aging on Sam Jackson throughout the movie, to allow him to portray a younger Nick Fury.

The characters are all great as well, I loved that Sam Jackson put a different more playful tone behind his younger, fresher Nick Fury performance as opposed to his stern colder portrayal as the older more battle hardened Fury in the Avengers movies. In the trailers it seemed out of place, but in the context of the movie, it worked really well. I also enjoyed seeing a younger, rookie Coulson and Ben Mendelsohn was great as the movies villain (?)

I was looking forward to seeing what Jude Law would bring to the MCU, but unfortunately he just played Jude Law, as in the same character type that we have already seen him play in a ton of other movies. His performance was perfectly serviceable, but nothing to write home about. Then there is arguably the most important performance of all, Brie Larson as the lead character, Captain Marvel. I thought for the most part she did a pretty great job. I will admit that there were a few lines, (mostly from flashback scenes before she left Earth for the first time,) that felt a bit forced and took me out of the movie slightly. As much as I wanted to buy everything in her performance, there was maybe 10% of the lines that she delivered that were just a bit too cheesy and somewhat wooden. However the other 90% was great and I am very much looking forward to her joining the larger Marvel universe.

The plot was given to us in drips and drabs due to the flashback filled nature of the way that the filmmakers chose to tell this story, but overall I enjoyed the ride. There were a few twists and turns along the way, - some painfully obvious and some not so much, - but most of them were enjoyable and some even felt refreshing, which isn't often said about the 21st movie in a franchise.

The last major thing to address is the female empowerment element that lies under the film's plot and is the thing that a bunch of bigots on Reddit seemed to assume would become the focus of the movie and take away from their beloved superhero fantasy. I am glad to report that no, although it is present, it in no way takes away from the scale or plot of the film. Some moments, (again moments predominately from the flashbacks before Carol leaves Earth for the first time,) were a bit on the nose and felt somewhat forced, such as the 'cockpit,' comment. However, later on in the movie there is an incredibly powerful, more subtle scene that shows different stages of Carol's life where she has been pushed to the ground and has had to get back on her own two feet and carry on. This sequence which showed a bunch of different young girls, ending with Brie Larson herself, standing up to face adversity with bravery and it was it moving and empowering and very well done.

Overall, I had way more fun with this film than I expected to. Try and ignore the negative comments coming from a loud minority of angry people when you see this one and enjoy what is actually happening onscreen.