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Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Escape: The Curse of the Temple in Tabletop Games
Jul 16, 2019 (Updated Dec 10, 2019)
Being a treasure hunter definitely sounds like a ton of fun – you get to travel to and explore exotic locations, decipher some hidden clues, and ultimately uncover some cool (and probably expensive!) artifacts and treasures! No reward is without risk, however, and you must be willing to put your life on the line, literally, to hack it in the treasure-hunting world!
Your latest quest has brought you and your comrades to an ancient temple. While exploring, you come across a treasure cache – score!! Your team decides to take it…for research purposes of course…but unbeknownst to you, this temple and its treasure are cursed, and you have just literally brought that curse down upon yourselves. The temple begins to collapse, and you and your team must make it to the exit alive! But wait, which way did you come from? Seriously? Did nobody leave any breadcrumbs? Which path is the right way? Too late to ask questions, just go! Traverse your way through this maze of a temple and get out! Will you make it out? Will your comrades make it too? I guess you’ll just have to wait and see…
DISCLAIMER: There are several expansions to this game, but we are not reviewing them at this time. Should we review them in the future we will either update this review or post a link to the new material here. -T
Escape: The Curse of the Temple is a real-time cooperative game in which players must roll dice, uncover new tiles, and find their way to the exit before the temple collapses, trapping the explorers inside. Played in exactly 10 minutes, all actions are taken simultaneously – you are trying to escape after all! By rolling dice, players can uncover new rooms and find magic gems. Once the exit tile has been discovered, all players must make their way to it and out of the temple! Strategy is key – do you move as a group in the same direction (there is safety in numbers…) or do you split up in an attempt to find the exit more quickly? That’s up to you and your team to decide – but decide quickly, because time is running out!
One super neat thing about this game is the countdown timer/soundtrack. When I say the game takes 10 minutes to play, I mean that literally – there is a timer! The corresponding soundtrack really brings the theme to life and creates a unique atmosphere. The pressure of a time limit means that players are frantically rolling dice and moving throughout the temple, just as they would be frantically searching for the exit in the real world. For a pretty simple game of dice-rolling, I think the timer adds to the overall excitement of the game – without it, there is no element of urgency and the theme would not feel as authentic.
That being said, timers kind of stress me out in games. One thing that can alleviate some of the pressure created by the timer is being able to work as a group. Cooperation is important to success because everyone wins or loses together. I don’t have to race against the clock on my own, I just need to do my part to help the group succeed. Whether it’s uncovering new room tiles or pooling dice with another player to find magic gems, winning Escape is, overall, a group effort.
If you’ve never played a real-time game or one with a timer before, I would recommend Escape: The Curse of the Temple. It’s simple enough to be a good introduction to the mechanics, yet engaging and exciting enough to keep you coming back. Purple Phoenix Games gives it a heart-pounding 17 / 24.
Your latest quest has brought you and your comrades to an ancient temple. While exploring, you come across a treasure cache – score!! Your team decides to take it…for research purposes of course…but unbeknownst to you, this temple and its treasure are cursed, and you have just literally brought that curse down upon yourselves. The temple begins to collapse, and you and your team must make it to the exit alive! But wait, which way did you come from? Seriously? Did nobody leave any breadcrumbs? Which path is the right way? Too late to ask questions, just go! Traverse your way through this maze of a temple and get out! Will you make it out? Will your comrades make it too? I guess you’ll just have to wait and see…
DISCLAIMER: There are several expansions to this game, but we are not reviewing them at this time. Should we review them in the future we will either update this review or post a link to the new material here. -T
Escape: The Curse of the Temple is a real-time cooperative game in which players must roll dice, uncover new tiles, and find their way to the exit before the temple collapses, trapping the explorers inside. Played in exactly 10 minutes, all actions are taken simultaneously – you are trying to escape after all! By rolling dice, players can uncover new rooms and find magic gems. Once the exit tile has been discovered, all players must make their way to it and out of the temple! Strategy is key – do you move as a group in the same direction (there is safety in numbers…) or do you split up in an attempt to find the exit more quickly? That’s up to you and your team to decide – but decide quickly, because time is running out!
One super neat thing about this game is the countdown timer/soundtrack. When I say the game takes 10 minutes to play, I mean that literally – there is a timer! The corresponding soundtrack really brings the theme to life and creates a unique atmosphere. The pressure of a time limit means that players are frantically rolling dice and moving throughout the temple, just as they would be frantically searching for the exit in the real world. For a pretty simple game of dice-rolling, I think the timer adds to the overall excitement of the game – without it, there is no element of urgency and the theme would not feel as authentic.
That being said, timers kind of stress me out in games. One thing that can alleviate some of the pressure created by the timer is being able to work as a group. Cooperation is important to success because everyone wins or loses together. I don’t have to race against the clock on my own, I just need to do my part to help the group succeed. Whether it’s uncovering new room tiles or pooling dice with another player to find magic gems, winning Escape is, overall, a group effort.
If you’ve never played a real-time game or one with a timer before, I would recommend Escape: The Curse of the Temple. It’s simple enough to be a good introduction to the mechanics, yet engaging and exciting enough to keep you coming back. Purple Phoenix Games gives it a heart-pounding 17 / 24.
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BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) in Movies
May 9, 2022
Fun...with heart
Doctor Strange is my favorite Marvel character. This comes from my college days when one of my roommates had a stack of Dr. Strange comics and I tore through them - one of the few Marvel comics that I have actually read. So I was thrilled to find out that Sam Raimi was coming back (was he ever gone?) to direct the 2nd solo Dr. Strange film, DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS.
And it does not disappoint for while DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS is not quite as “mad” as one would expect by the build up to this film, it delivers solid action by actors playing characters that are easy to root for (or root against) all done with a wink in the eye and a focus on Marvel’s secret weapon…relationships and heart.
You will find no brooding “dark knights” in this one.
Sprightly Directed by Sam Raimi (THE EVIL DEAD), Multiverse (as I will call it from here on out) finds our titular hero (Benedict Cumberbatch) connecting with - and working to save - a multiverse hopping heroine in the form of America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) from an evil that wishes to drain her of her multiverse hopping powers.
What happens next is a multiverse hopping action/adventure/horror/chase film that really shows off the cinematic sensibilities of Director Raimi who’s mark is all over this film…for the better. Multiverse swerves really close to being a horror film, but, fortunately for it’s box office fortunes, remains firmly in the action/adventure/superhero genre. Only a director like Raimi can ride this fine line as well as he has and it works for this film.
Cumberbatch, of course, is terrific as Doctor Stephen Strange and he slides, comfortably, back into the cloak and sling-ring. Benedict Wong (Wong - The Sorcerer Supreme), Rachel McAdams (Dr. Christine Palmer) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Baron Mordo) all reprise their characters from the first film and they all seem re-energized in their roles for this one while Xochitl Gomez makes a winning debut as America Chavez.
But, make no mistake, the personae that steals this film is Elizabeth Olson as the grieving Wanda Maximoff/Scarlett Witch who Dr. Strange reaches out to when America Chavez falls into his lap. She is outstanding and is really the driving force here. It would not be a misnomer to say that this film easily could have been titled THE SCARLET WITCH IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS.
My one quibble with this film is that it doesn’t go to enough Multiverses to suit my tastes and is not quite as “mad” as one would hope - our hero does spend a rather large amount of time in one multiverse - but that is a minor issue and this one multiverse does bring many fun cameos…cameos that will not be spoiled here.
Which brings up one last point. See this film, if you can, in a theater full of the aforementioned fanboys. The full house IMAX theater that I caught this film in went absolutely nuts when one specific person showed his/her face for their extended cameo and that was a very fun time.
As is DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS - it works well as a stand alone film, but if you want to do “some homework”, check out the Disney+ TV Series WANDAVISION (essential), the first DOCTOR STRANGE movie (good background) and the animated Disney+ series MARVEL’S WHAT IF (some nice callbacks).
And, of course, stay for the end credits…it sets up DOCTOR STRANGE 3, a film that can’t get here soon enough.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
And it does not disappoint for while DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS is not quite as “mad” as one would expect by the build up to this film, it delivers solid action by actors playing characters that are easy to root for (or root against) all done with a wink in the eye and a focus on Marvel’s secret weapon…relationships and heart.
You will find no brooding “dark knights” in this one.
Sprightly Directed by Sam Raimi (THE EVIL DEAD), Multiverse (as I will call it from here on out) finds our titular hero (Benedict Cumberbatch) connecting with - and working to save - a multiverse hopping heroine in the form of America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) from an evil that wishes to drain her of her multiverse hopping powers.
What happens next is a multiverse hopping action/adventure/horror/chase film that really shows off the cinematic sensibilities of Director Raimi who’s mark is all over this film…for the better. Multiverse swerves really close to being a horror film, but, fortunately for it’s box office fortunes, remains firmly in the action/adventure/superhero genre. Only a director like Raimi can ride this fine line as well as he has and it works for this film.
Cumberbatch, of course, is terrific as Doctor Stephen Strange and he slides, comfortably, back into the cloak and sling-ring. Benedict Wong (Wong - The Sorcerer Supreme), Rachel McAdams (Dr. Christine Palmer) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Baron Mordo) all reprise their characters from the first film and they all seem re-energized in their roles for this one while Xochitl Gomez makes a winning debut as America Chavez.
But, make no mistake, the personae that steals this film is Elizabeth Olson as the grieving Wanda Maximoff/Scarlett Witch who Dr. Strange reaches out to when America Chavez falls into his lap. She is outstanding and is really the driving force here. It would not be a misnomer to say that this film easily could have been titled THE SCARLET WITCH IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS.
My one quibble with this film is that it doesn’t go to enough Multiverses to suit my tastes and is not quite as “mad” as one would hope - our hero does spend a rather large amount of time in one multiverse - but that is a minor issue and this one multiverse does bring many fun cameos…cameos that will not be spoiled here.
Which brings up one last point. See this film, if you can, in a theater full of the aforementioned fanboys. The full house IMAX theater that I caught this film in went absolutely nuts when one specific person showed his/her face for their extended cameo and that was a very fun time.
As is DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS - it works well as a stand alone film, but if you want to do “some homework”, check out the Disney+ TV Series WANDAVISION (essential), the first DOCTOR STRANGE movie (good background) and the animated Disney+ series MARVEL’S WHAT IF (some nice callbacks).
And, of course, stay for the end credits…it sets up DOCTOR STRANGE 3, a film that can’t get here soon enough.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Shalador's Lady (The Black Jewels, #8) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
I found this book to be a very satisfying continuation of Lady Cassidy's story from The Shadow Queen (Black Jewels, Book 7). Even though a Bishop wields a substantial cast of characters between the pages of this book, each character is given his or her time in the spotlight, from my series favorites, such as Surreal and Daemon, to newer characters like Gray and Ranon. Each one has a subplot to work through, yet all loose ends are resolved quite neatly. I enjoyed how the plot would switch seamlessly between the story arcs of Cassidy's realm and Jaenelle's realm without taking away from either.
This book seemed to give the reader a glimpse into how the tainting of the Blood occurred by how good men could become bound to bad Queens. Kermilla played the role perfectly by how naive and self-centered she behaved, making her completely oblivious to the trouble she was creating. It is easy to see what Theran sees in her, because it is clear to me that were she to ever learn to use her strengths for the good of others instead of herself, she could become a very powerful force. Though I could not stand Kermilla from the very beginning, I think her character has too much potential not to use her in further books in the Black Jewels series.
The Kindred of the Blood continue to take a vital role in the progression of the plot, which I find both ingenious and quite humorous, as they are unpredictable in many ways. With the Kindred involved, there is guaranteed to be surprises - both good and bad. I could easily see a Kindred-centered novella come out of this book.
My favorite part of this book was watching the transformation of Gray into Jared Blaed as him and Cassidy fall in love. The progression is slow without feeling dragged out, and each stage has its rewards, with his casual relationship with Jaenelle's inner circle, as well as his introduction into Cassidy's circle. I'm a bit disappointed that Bishop did not create a way for Gray to gain the power he missed out on the first time, simply because it feels like he was punished for what he had no control over in his past.
I also love the humor that Bishop interjects so effortlessly into the plot, such as the interactions between Ranon and Gray and the rest of Jaenelle's court. The same old chemistry is still there with all of the "former court," and I have to wonder if the references to her court don't indicate a coming change in future books. I greatly look forward to the next installment in the Black Jewels series, Twilight's Dawn: A Black Jewels Book.
This book seemed to give the reader a glimpse into how the tainting of the Blood occurred by how good men could become bound to bad Queens. Kermilla played the role perfectly by how naive and self-centered she behaved, making her completely oblivious to the trouble she was creating. It is easy to see what Theran sees in her, because it is clear to me that were she to ever learn to use her strengths for the good of others instead of herself, she could become a very powerful force. Though I could not stand Kermilla from the very beginning, I think her character has too much potential not to use her in further books in the Black Jewels series.
The Kindred of the Blood continue to take a vital role in the progression of the plot, which I find both ingenious and quite humorous, as they are unpredictable in many ways. With the Kindred involved, there is guaranteed to be surprises - both good and bad. I could easily see a Kindred-centered novella come out of this book.
My favorite part of this book was watching the transformation of Gray into Jared Blaed as him and Cassidy fall in love. The progression is slow without feeling dragged out, and each stage has its rewards, with his casual relationship with Jaenelle's inner circle, as well as his introduction into Cassidy's circle. I'm a bit disappointed that Bishop did not create a way for Gray to gain the power he missed out on the first time, simply because it feels like he was punished for what he had no control over in his past.
I also love the humor that Bishop interjects so effortlessly into the plot, such as the interactions between Ranon and Gray and the rest of Jaenelle's court. The same old chemistry is still there with all of the "former court," and I have to wonder if the references to her court don't indicate a coming change in future books. I greatly look forward to the next installment in the Black Jewels series, Twilight's Dawn: A Black Jewels Book.
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Shalador's Lady (The Black Jewels #8) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
I found this book to be a very satisfying continuation of Lady Cassidy's story from The Shadow Queen (Black Jewels, Book 7). Even though a Bishop wields a substantial cast of characters between the pages of this book, each character is given his or her time in the spotlight, from my series favorites, such as Surreal and Daemon, to newer characters like Gray and Ranon. Each one has a subplot to work through, yet all loose ends are resolved quite neatly. I enjoyed how the plot would switch seamlessly between the story arcs of Cassidy's realm and Jaenelle's realm without taking away from either.
This book seemed to give the reader a glimpse into how the tainting of the Blood occurred by how good men could become bound to bad Queens. Kermilla played the role perfectly by how naive and self-centered she behaved, making her completely oblivious to the trouble she was creating. It is easy to see what Theran sees in her, because it is clear to me that were she to ever learn to use her strengths for the good of others instead of herself, she could become a very powerful force. Though I could not stand Kermilla from the very beginning, I think her character has too much potential not to use her in further books in the Black Jewels series.
The Kindred of the Blood continue to take a vital role in the progression of the plot, which I find both ingenious and quite humorous, as they are unpredictable in many ways. With the Kindred involved, there is guaranteed to be surprises - both good and bad. I could easily see a Kindred-centered novella come out of this book.
My favorite part of this book was watching the transformation of Gray into Jared Blaed as him and Cassidy fall in love. The progression is slow without feeling dragged out, and each stage has its rewards, with his casual relationship with Jaenelle's inner circle, as well as his introduction into Cassidy's circle. I'm a bit disappointed that Bishop did not create a way for Gray to gain the power he missed out on the first time, simply because it feels like he was punished for what he had no control over in his past.
I also love the humor that Bishop interjects so effortlessly into the plot, such as the interactions between Ranon and Gray and the rest of Jaenelle's court. The same old chemistry is still there with all of the "former court," and I have to wonder if the references to her court don't indicate a coming change in future books. I greatly look forward to the next installment in the Black Jewels series, Twilight's Dawn: A Black Jewels Book.
This book seemed to give the reader a glimpse into how the tainting of the Blood occurred by how good men could become bound to bad Queens. Kermilla played the role perfectly by how naive and self-centered she behaved, making her completely oblivious to the trouble she was creating. It is easy to see what Theran sees in her, because it is clear to me that were she to ever learn to use her strengths for the good of others instead of herself, she could become a very powerful force. Though I could not stand Kermilla from the very beginning, I think her character has too much potential not to use her in further books in the Black Jewels series.
The Kindred of the Blood continue to take a vital role in the progression of the plot, which I find both ingenious and quite humorous, as they are unpredictable in many ways. With the Kindred involved, there is guaranteed to be surprises - both good and bad. I could easily see a Kindred-centered novella come out of this book.
My favorite part of this book was watching the transformation of Gray into Jared Blaed as him and Cassidy fall in love. The progression is slow without feeling dragged out, and each stage has its rewards, with his casual relationship with Jaenelle's inner circle, as well as his introduction into Cassidy's circle. I'm a bit disappointed that Bishop did not create a way for Gray to gain the power he missed out on the first time, simply because it feels like he was punished for what he had no control over in his past.
I also love the humor that Bishop interjects so effortlessly into the plot, such as the interactions between Ranon and Gray and the rest of Jaenelle's court. The same old chemistry is still there with all of the "former court," and I have to wonder if the references to her court don't indicate a coming change in future books. I greatly look forward to the next installment in the Black Jewels series, Twilight's Dawn: A Black Jewels Book.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Game Of Thrones - Season 8 in TV
May 29, 2019 (Updated May 30, 2019)
A bit of a let-down
I don't think I will ever understand why the decision was made to squeeze the final season into 6 episodes. This seems to have put all the onus on ending storylines quickly and less on building tension. And yet, so much of this series was slow, drawn out padding.
There were two episodes of pretty much non-stop action. These were visually stunning, however so badly written and incongruous. Given how well the series as a whole has tried to mimic medieval European history, to have a battle start and end in a very short time was simply nonsense. No attention to likely battle plans was attempted (a sieging army wouldn't attack, and a besieged army wouldn't come out onto the field of battle), it was just a CGI-heavy, smoky, frantic fight.
The rest of the series was a much slower pace, which is GoT's style. However those episodes were so flat and dull as to be like someone else entirely had written them. Gone was the political wrangling, the back-stabbing and the two-facedness (generally, there were some brief moments of this).
The focus of each episode was also almost solely in one place, where it has always been at its best by showing so many things at a time. Rather than this being the convergence of all story threads, this just came across as storytelling-by-numbers.
I had no problems with Daenerys' change in character - it had been so well hinted at that you didn't have to be the 3-eyed raven to see it coming. It also felt totally in line with her past decisions, and family history, and this was one of the few parts I felt were well written and understandable.
A lot of fan-favourite characters got shat on in the final few series, but I don't see why people are surprised - the main character of the first series was beheaded in that same series, so this was quite normal for GoT.
I really did not like the final outcome of the series, with Bran on the throne and the whole scene with all the lords (some of whom I still don't recognise) was painful - why would they listen to Tyrion and go with his "can't defeat a story" nonsense.
Overall, it was not a finale worthy of the series as a whole, but it was a reasonably enjoyable and at times thrilling conclusion to an epic story.
And one good thing to come out of this is the motivation it will give other writers: get on with finishing your stories or Benioff and Weiss will do it for you!
There were two episodes of pretty much non-stop action. These were visually stunning, however so badly written and incongruous. Given how well the series as a whole has tried to mimic medieval European history, to have a battle start and end in a very short time was simply nonsense. No attention to likely battle plans was attempted (a sieging army wouldn't attack, and a besieged army wouldn't come out onto the field of battle), it was just a CGI-heavy, smoky, frantic fight.
The rest of the series was a much slower pace, which is GoT's style. However those episodes were so flat and dull as to be like someone else entirely had written them. Gone was the political wrangling, the back-stabbing and the two-facedness (generally, there were some brief moments of this).
The focus of each episode was also almost solely in one place, where it has always been at its best by showing so many things at a time. Rather than this being the convergence of all story threads, this just came across as storytelling-by-numbers.
I had no problems with Daenerys' change in character - it had been so well hinted at that you didn't have to be the 3-eyed raven to see it coming. It also felt totally in line with her past decisions, and family history, and this was one of the few parts I felt were well written and understandable.
A lot of fan-favourite characters got shat on in the final few series, but I don't see why people are surprised - the main character of the first series was beheaded in that same series, so this was quite normal for GoT.
I really did not like the final outcome of the series, with Bran on the throne and the whole scene with all the lords (some of whom I still don't recognise) was painful - why would they listen to Tyrion and go with his "can't defeat a story" nonsense.
Overall, it was not a finale worthy of the series as a whole, but it was a reasonably enjoyable and at times thrilling conclusion to an epic story.
And one good thing to come out of this is the motivation it will give other writers: get on with finishing your stories or Benioff and Weiss will do it for you!
Kyera (8 KP) rated They Both Die At The End in Books
Jan 31, 2018
They Both Die at the End. That tells you exactly what is going to happen in the book, yet you hope the entire time that it won't be true. This book made me so happy and sad. The journey was hopeful despite the dark theme and you really connect with the characters. This was my first Adam Silvera novel and I am definitely interested in reading more of his books now.
I also listened to the audiobook for this, rather than physically reading it. I really enjoyed the two narrators who voiced the main characters, Mateo and Rufus. Both Silvera's words and the narrator's execution made the characters come to life. My one negative for the narration was the women who voiced the supporting characters when the chapters switched to their points of view.
I would have been happy with the story being told from just Mateo and Rufus' points of view. Some of the alternative viewpoints added an interesting note to the story or helped weave seemingly unrelated events and lives together, but I didn't feel that they were all relevant and occasionally took me out of the story.
I felt that the two main characters were very well fleshed out and seemed like teenage boys living out their last day. Mateo's anxiety was unique and nicely represented. I also loved that this was an own voices novel, so there was diversity and representation. The novel completely revolves around these two and it's perfect that way. I also feel that Silvera's side characters were decently developed, you could see that they were each unique people but they weren't so detailed that they took away from Mateo and Rufus' stories.
Honestly, even though you know what's coming the book manages to keep you completely emotionally engaged and on your toes. Right in the beginning of the book one of Rufus' friends starts to cry because he didn't get to hug his best friend. It was so sad, so soon and we hadn't even experienced hundreds of pages of development and heart-string tugging yet. I knew right then that I was in for a book that would have an affect.
I am not entirely sure how I feel about the world-building. The contemporary aspects of it were fantastic and I could completely see each place that the two visited. It was the Death-Cast aspect of it that felt a little flimsy to me. I think that part of the story is the mystery of it, but I do wish we learned more. It one of the few things that I felt could be improved in this book.
I really enjoyed this read and would highly recommend it if you like character-driven novels and don't mind a good cry at the end..
I also listened to the audiobook for this, rather than physically reading it. I really enjoyed the two narrators who voiced the main characters, Mateo and Rufus. Both Silvera's words and the narrator's execution made the characters come to life. My one negative for the narration was the women who voiced the supporting characters when the chapters switched to their points of view.
I would have been happy with the story being told from just Mateo and Rufus' points of view. Some of the alternative viewpoints added an interesting note to the story or helped weave seemingly unrelated events and lives together, but I didn't feel that they were all relevant and occasionally took me out of the story.
I felt that the two main characters were very well fleshed out and seemed like teenage boys living out their last day. Mateo's anxiety was unique and nicely represented. I also loved that this was an own voices novel, so there was diversity and representation. The novel completely revolves around these two and it's perfect that way. I also feel that Silvera's side characters were decently developed, you could see that they were each unique people but they weren't so detailed that they took away from Mateo and Rufus' stories.
Honestly, even though you know what's coming the book manages to keep you completely emotionally engaged and on your toes. Right in the beginning of the book one of Rufus' friends starts to cry because he didn't get to hug his best friend. It was so sad, so soon and we hadn't even experienced hundreds of pages of development and heart-string tugging yet. I knew right then that I was in for a book that would have an affect.
I am not entirely sure how I feel about the world-building. The contemporary aspects of it were fantastic and I could completely see each place that the two visited. It was the Death-Cast aspect of it that felt a little flimsy to me. I think that part of the story is the mystery of it, but I do wish we learned more. It one of the few things that I felt could be improved in this book.
I really enjoyed this read and would highly recommend it if you like character-driven novels and don't mind a good cry at the end..
Christina Haynes (148 KP) rated Avoiding Alpha in Books
Jun 14, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
So Tessa is now a Werewolf, Human and Bruja (Witch in Spanish) She has accepted the fact she is one and can't do anything about it. She has also accepted that Dastien is her mate. But what she hasn't accepted is that she is going to have to change into a wolf... And that scares her.
With the Vampires gone, and her and Dastien enjoying life as mates. Things couldn't be better (other than the changing into a Werewolf part) However there is a Tribunal approaching because of the whole Dastien biting her thing... (Because wolves aren't allowed to bite human and Dastien broke that rule. They have to have tribubal. Although he bit her due to her being his mate, it still has to happen) She is terrified of what might happen to them both.
Then Meredith her best friend and room neighbor. Was cursed a few years ago so her wolf can't come out and she is never about to change into one again. This curse is now breaking. With Meredith finding her mate in Donovan, who is one of the seven (one of the high Werewolves, who are in charge of all Were.) She freaks and her wolf tries to break out and this gets her really ill. So ill she could die.
Tessa tries to find away to help her by breaking the curse and freeing her wolf. She tries magic and asks for her cousins help. But unfortunately there is no way to break another Witches curse. So Tessa suggests trying to keep the curse to save her life and then working on away to stop this curse later. Once Meredith is better.
We then find out who cursed her and why, Tessa then tries to talk to this Witch and get her to break that curse. But this Witch the leader of the Coven hates all Werewolves and will only break this curse (put the curse back on her and stop the wolf coming back) if she can do the same to Tessa and she joins the Coven she is destined to lead. But Tessa won't join.
Tessa tries to break the curse again and tries to keep Meridith's wolf at bay. But is unsuccessful in doing so. She goes back to the Coven ready to make a deal, but in going there she learns how to break the curse completely. But in order to break this curse she needs to accept she is going to have to change to become a wolf. Which she finally does.
With the Tribunal approaching Tessa has so many emotions. She needs to relax and save Meredith and become one with who she is.
3☕ – NOT A BAD BOOK
Love, Christina ?
With the Vampires gone, and her and Dastien enjoying life as mates. Things couldn't be better (other than the changing into a Werewolf part) However there is a Tribunal approaching because of the whole Dastien biting her thing... (Because wolves aren't allowed to bite human and Dastien broke that rule. They have to have tribubal. Although he bit her due to her being his mate, it still has to happen) She is terrified of what might happen to them both.
Then Meredith her best friend and room neighbor. Was cursed a few years ago so her wolf can't come out and she is never about to change into one again. This curse is now breaking. With Meredith finding her mate in Donovan, who is one of the seven (one of the high Werewolves, who are in charge of all Were.) She freaks and her wolf tries to break out and this gets her really ill. So ill she could die.
Tessa tries to find away to help her by breaking the curse and freeing her wolf. She tries magic and asks for her cousins help. But unfortunately there is no way to break another Witches curse. So Tessa suggests trying to keep the curse to save her life and then working on away to stop this curse later. Once Meredith is better.
We then find out who cursed her and why, Tessa then tries to talk to this Witch and get her to break that curse. But this Witch the leader of the Coven hates all Werewolves and will only break this curse (put the curse back on her and stop the wolf coming back) if she can do the same to Tessa and she joins the Coven she is destined to lead. But Tessa won't join.
Tessa tries to break the curse again and tries to keep Meridith's wolf at bay. But is unsuccessful in doing so. She goes back to the Coven ready to make a deal, but in going there she learns how to break the curse completely. But in order to break this curse she needs to accept she is going to have to change to become a wolf. Which she finally does.
With the Tribunal approaching Tessa has so many emotions. She needs to relax and save Meredith and become one with who she is.
3☕ – NOT A BAD BOOK
Love, Christina ?
Bookapotamus (289 KP) rated Educated in Books
May 29, 2018
All the stars in the Idaho Sky! Tara Westover is so very brave. And her book is hands-down, 5+ stars amazing. This is by far the most riveting memoir I've ever read. I am so fascinated by cult-like religions, as well as homesteaders/survivalists and end-of-the-world preppers - and this quenched every thirst I've ever had for all those things and infinitely beyond. This was the extreme of both of those worlds. I cannot believe this is real life. The epitome of "you can't make this sh*t up," I imagine those words running through Tara's head often.
This is a story of growing up in middle-of-nowhere Idaho with Mormon anti-government parents, who "home-schooled" Tara and her brothers and sisters, while preaching these crazy ideals on these poor kids who just didn't know any better. They believed everything their parents said (who wouldn't believe their own parents?!), and the abuse and neglect she had to essentially endure because of it, was heartbreaking. These kids grew up with no birth certificates, never stepping foot inside a classroom or a doctor's office, zero modern medicine (including for severe burns and brain injury!), living in filth and squalor, and the constant pressure to be of extreme faith and a tireless servant of a God, that required way to much of these poor children. And all under the watchful eyes of a father who takes no less than their utter devotion to that God, no matter what the consequences.
It pains me to see them choose sides throughout - you really do get the sense that these parents love Tara in all the way they know how, and they honestly feel that what they are doing is right and just, but it's just so blatantly wrong. I applaud Tara for trying so very hard - throughout every victory in her life without them, and coming out on the other side, not bitter at all, still feeling love for her family.
I was enthralled by this memoir. There wasn't any second of this book that dragged, or lulled - I literally could not put it down. The writing is so well thought out, every person rich with description and character, and you root for this strong-willed little girl to get out, and make something of her life and triumph over the family who may love her, but believe her to be evil because she just wants to be free. And we know, because of this amazing book, she finally is.
Love. Love. Love!
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review and to Tara Westover for sharing her story.
This is a story of growing up in middle-of-nowhere Idaho with Mormon anti-government parents, who "home-schooled" Tara and her brothers and sisters, while preaching these crazy ideals on these poor kids who just didn't know any better. They believed everything their parents said (who wouldn't believe their own parents?!), and the abuse and neglect she had to essentially endure because of it, was heartbreaking. These kids grew up with no birth certificates, never stepping foot inside a classroom or a doctor's office, zero modern medicine (including for severe burns and brain injury!), living in filth and squalor, and the constant pressure to be of extreme faith and a tireless servant of a God, that required way to much of these poor children. And all under the watchful eyes of a father who takes no less than their utter devotion to that God, no matter what the consequences.
It pains me to see them choose sides throughout - you really do get the sense that these parents love Tara in all the way they know how, and they honestly feel that what they are doing is right and just, but it's just so blatantly wrong. I applaud Tara for trying so very hard - throughout every victory in her life without them, and coming out on the other side, not bitter at all, still feeling love for her family.
I was enthralled by this memoir. There wasn't any second of this book that dragged, or lulled - I literally could not put it down. The writing is so well thought out, every person rich with description and character, and you root for this strong-willed little girl to get out, and make something of her life and triumph over the family who may love her, but believe her to be evil because she just wants to be free. And we know, because of this amazing book, she finally is.
Love. Love. Love!
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review and to Tara Westover for sharing her story.
Lee (2222 KP) rated Overlord (2018) in Movies
Nov 5, 2018 (Updated Nov 6, 2018)
Brutal and intensely enjoyable
Overlord follows a group of WWII soldiers on a mission to bring down a radio tower in a remote French town. It opens with our team of soldiers traveling by plane, one of a large number of aircraft and warships all heading towards enemy territory during the dead of night. As they near their destination, things heat up. Bullet fire begins raining up from the enemy on the ground and things become very intense, with our soldiers having to evacuate the plane quickly. We are then treated to a stunning one shot sequence following the soldiers as they parachute to the ground, surrounded by explosions, bullets and complete chaos.
Down on the ground, the team (what's left of them) regroup and begin making their way towards the radio tower in order to carry out their mission. They have Nazi soldiers and landmines to contend with though, eventually coming across a local woman from the town they're headed to, and she leads them back to the home she shares with her younger brother and poorly aunt. It turns out that the town is being terrorised by Nazi officers who are randomly killing the towns residents and then doing shocking things with them beneath the radio tower that our soldiers are seeking to destroy.
The thing about Ovelord, for me, is that it never goes full on crazy with all the zombie experiment stuff that they show you in the trailers. Up until this moment in the town, and throughout the rest of the movie to a certain degree, Overlord is basically just a really solid war story in a similar vein to something like Saving Private Ryan. An intense opening, a journey across enemy territory by a team of soldiers, some scenes within a war-torn village. Time is dedicated to introducing and developing the characters and, even if the odd one is a little bit stereotypical, the whole thing feels very well done and hugely enjoyable. It's a fair while before you get any hint of anything more than that and when you do, it's not a complete From Dusk Till Dawn style flip either. It's not over the top and is in a similar tone and style to what's come up until that point. I felt that made it all the more believable, and even more terrifying.
The practical effects relating to the creatures the Nazi soldiers are creating are extremely effective and disturbing at times. They had the desired effect of either making me squirm in my seat, jump out of my skin or grin from ear to ear at how cool it all was! I absolutely loved this movie. Brutal, intensely enjoyable and with a satisfying ending. Loved it.
Down on the ground, the team (what's left of them) regroup and begin making their way towards the radio tower in order to carry out their mission. They have Nazi soldiers and landmines to contend with though, eventually coming across a local woman from the town they're headed to, and she leads them back to the home she shares with her younger brother and poorly aunt. It turns out that the town is being terrorised by Nazi officers who are randomly killing the towns residents and then doing shocking things with them beneath the radio tower that our soldiers are seeking to destroy.
The thing about Ovelord, for me, is that it never goes full on crazy with all the zombie experiment stuff that they show you in the trailers. Up until this moment in the town, and throughout the rest of the movie to a certain degree, Overlord is basically just a really solid war story in a similar vein to something like Saving Private Ryan. An intense opening, a journey across enemy territory by a team of soldiers, some scenes within a war-torn village. Time is dedicated to introducing and developing the characters and, even if the odd one is a little bit stereotypical, the whole thing feels very well done and hugely enjoyable. It's a fair while before you get any hint of anything more than that and when you do, it's not a complete From Dusk Till Dawn style flip either. It's not over the top and is in a similar tone and style to what's come up until that point. I felt that made it all the more believable, and even more terrifying.
The practical effects relating to the creatures the Nazi soldiers are creating are extremely effective and disturbing at times. They had the desired effect of either making me squirm in my seat, jump out of my skin or grin from ear to ear at how cool it all was! I absolutely loved this movie. Brutal, intensely enjoyable and with a satisfying ending. Loved it.
