Search
Search results
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Esther: Royal Beauty (Dangerous Beauty, #1) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
Adonai has a calling and a purpose for each one of His children. Hadassah has been called to the royal palace, but in all of her greatest dreams and imaginings, she could never have guessed what His purpose was for her life.
Hadassah (Esther) is a Jewish girl living in the royal city of Susa, in the great land of Persia, ruled by all powerful King Xerxes. Orphaned at a young age, her cousin Mordecai and his wife Miriam raise Hadassah as their own daughter. King Xerxes’ wife Vashti has defied him. His advisers suggest that she be dismissed as Queen, or the women of Persia will begin to treat their husbands the same way. The King becomes lonely however, and therefore sends out a nationwide search for a new wife. When everything has been arranged for Hadassah’s marriage to a local Jewish man, her world is turned upside down. Brought to the palace against her will, will she please the King and become his Queen? Or will she live out her life anonymously in the harem?
Being a familiar Bible story to me, Esther: Royal Beauty was a relaxing book to read, because I knew how it would end. Angela Hunt did a wonderful job filling in the spaces of the story that have been left up to our imagination. I enjoyed learning a little bit more about King Xerxes as well. I read the book of Esther in the Bible after I finished this book and was pleasantly surprised to know that the author was very accurate with the interpretation. She even quoted word for word dialogue found in the New Living Translation. Very intriguing to anyone who enjoys bringing more life and depth to traditional Bible stories.
I received a free copy of Esther: Royal Beauty from Bethany House Publishers and a free digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Hadassah (Esther) is a Jewish girl living in the royal city of Susa, in the great land of Persia, ruled by all powerful King Xerxes. Orphaned at a young age, her cousin Mordecai and his wife Miriam raise Hadassah as their own daughter. King Xerxes’ wife Vashti has defied him. His advisers suggest that she be dismissed as Queen, or the women of Persia will begin to treat their husbands the same way. The King becomes lonely however, and therefore sends out a nationwide search for a new wife. When everything has been arranged for Hadassah’s marriage to a local Jewish man, her world is turned upside down. Brought to the palace against her will, will she please the King and become his Queen? Or will she live out her life anonymously in the harem?
Being a familiar Bible story to me, Esther: Royal Beauty was a relaxing book to read, because I knew how it would end. Angela Hunt did a wonderful job filling in the spaces of the story that have been left up to our imagination. I enjoyed learning a little bit more about King Xerxes as well. I read the book of Esther in the Bible after I finished this book and was pleasantly surprised to know that the author was very accurate with the interpretation. She even quoted word for word dialogue found in the New Living Translation. Very intriguing to anyone who enjoys bringing more life and depth to traditional Bible stories.
I received a free copy of Esther: Royal Beauty from Bethany House Publishers and a free digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated The Lost Heiress (Ladies of the Manor, #1) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
A lost heiress has been found, but the past brings a danger that will threaten all she holds dear.
With a mysterious past, Brooke Eden recruits her closest friend, Justin Wildon, to find who her true family is. She has been raised in Monaco by the Grimaldi family, but she knows that they are not her true family. She is shocked to discover that she is a long lost daughter of The Earl of Whitby and even more surprised that her father receives her with open arms. Although, the rest of the family takes a little more convincing. Horrors of her mother's death haunt Brook and there are many secrets that have to be uncovered. When greed and lust for wealth and power threaten Brook's life, her faith keeps her strong. Will the secrets of the past be revealed? And will Brook return home after being lost for a second time?
"But God does not just instruct us to forgive - He instructs us to trust. To trust that, even though life hurts us, He will take care of us."
Roseanna White had me completely captivated from the first page of The Lost Heiress. Set in 1910, during the Edwardian Period it was a new experience for me. With society rapidly changing and new inventions around every corner, it was wonderful to see it through Brook Eden's eyes. I admire her courage and strength throughout this story. She is someone that I would love to know and to follow on one of her harebrained ideas. She can be rash and impulsive, but her faith is evident. We could all benefit by following her example of putting our trust in the Lord, even when the world seems to be crumbling down around us. If you are a fan of Downton Abbey and love a little mystery with your historical fiction, you will quickly loose yourself between the pages of this book.
I received a free digital copy of The Lost Heiress from Bethany House Publishers through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
With a mysterious past, Brooke Eden recruits her closest friend, Justin Wildon, to find who her true family is. She has been raised in Monaco by the Grimaldi family, but she knows that they are not her true family. She is shocked to discover that she is a long lost daughter of The Earl of Whitby and even more surprised that her father receives her with open arms. Although, the rest of the family takes a little more convincing. Horrors of her mother's death haunt Brook and there are many secrets that have to be uncovered. When greed and lust for wealth and power threaten Brook's life, her faith keeps her strong. Will the secrets of the past be revealed? And will Brook return home after being lost for a second time?
"But God does not just instruct us to forgive - He instructs us to trust. To trust that, even though life hurts us, He will take care of us."
Roseanna White had me completely captivated from the first page of The Lost Heiress. Set in 1910, during the Edwardian Period it was a new experience for me. With society rapidly changing and new inventions around every corner, it was wonderful to see it through Brook Eden's eyes. I admire her courage and strength throughout this story. She is someone that I would love to know and to follow on one of her harebrained ideas. She can be rash and impulsive, but her faith is evident. We could all benefit by following her example of putting our trust in the Lord, even when the world seems to be crumbling down around us. If you are a fan of Downton Abbey and love a little mystery with your historical fiction, you will quickly loose yourself between the pages of this book.
I received a free digital copy of The Lost Heiress from Bethany House Publishers through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy, #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
<i>The Winner’s Curse</i> is the first book in the <i>Winner’s Trilogy</i> by American author Marie Rutkoski. It is a novel that mixes together rumours, lies, love and warfare to create an incredible new story for young adults.
It is set in a similar society to that of the 18th century or earlier (in Europe at least) except that for women there are only two lifestyles. By the age of twenty they must decide whether to marry or join the military. By women, that means Valorian women. Ever since the defeat of the Herrani during the Herran war many years ago, the Valorian have made them slaves and looked down on them, whilst seizing their lavish properties and enforcing Valorian customs.
The title, <i>The Winner’s Curse</i>, is a concept that relates to the winner of an auction. Whilst they have won the item they have also lost by paying out more money than other bidders felt it was worth. This is what happens to seventeen-year-old Lady Kestrel, a Valorian, when, with an unexplainable impulse, she hires Arin, a Herrani slave, for an extortionate amount of money. Put to work as a blacksmith, Arin becomes intrigued with Kestrel, and she with him, and they soon start to form a friendship – although rumours suggest something more.
It is not, however, simply the cost of a slave that <i>The Winner’s Curse</i> refers to. The Herrani are planning an attack on the Valorian Empire, and Kestrel being a General’s daughter could unknowingly reveal vital information. The emergence of a second Herran war is imminent, but Kestrel and Arin’s relationship complicate things further.
Whilst similar to other novels with lovers belonging to opposing families, it is more original regarding the circumstances, secrets and lies, which makes, not just the characters, but the reader question what their true feelings and intentions are.
It is an excellent, fast paced read, and definitely recommended.
<i>The Winner’s Curse</i> is the first book in the <i>Winner’s Trilogy</i> by American author Marie Rutkoski. It is a novel that mixes together rumours, lies, love and warfare to create an incredible new story for young adults.
It is set in a similar society to that of the 18th century or earlier (in Europe at least) except that for women there are only two lifestyles. By the age of twenty they must decide whether to marry or join the military. By women, that means Valorian women. Ever since the defeat of the Herrani during the Herran war many years ago, the Valorian have made them slaves and looked down on them, whilst seizing their lavish properties and enforcing Valorian customs.
The title, <i>The Winner’s Curse</i>, is a concept that relates to the winner of an auction. Whilst they have won the item they have also lost by paying out more money than other bidders felt it was worth. This is what happens to seventeen-year-old Lady Kestrel, a Valorian, when, with an unexplainable impulse, she hires Arin, a Herrani slave, for an extortionate amount of money. Put to work as a blacksmith, Arin becomes intrigued with Kestrel, and she with him, and they soon start to form a friendship – although rumours suggest something more.
It is not, however, simply the cost of a slave that <i>The Winner’s Curse</i> refers to. The Herrani are planning an attack on the Valorian Empire, and Kestrel being a General’s daughter could unknowingly reveal vital information. The emergence of a second Herran war is imminent, but Kestrel and Arin’s relationship complicate things further.
Whilst similar to other novels with lovers belonging to opposing families, it is more original regarding the circumstances, secrets and lies, which makes, not just the characters, but the reader question what their true feelings and intentions are.
It is an excellent, fast paced read, and definitely recommended.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Orphan Train in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
Steve Brigman’s historical novel <i>The Orphan Train</i> takes place in the Missouri Ozarks during the late 19th and early 20th century. Large groups of orphaned children were transported from New York across to the west where other families adopted them. Ten-year-old James was one of these children and this is his story.
Initially the title implied that the story would be about the orphan train itself or at least the life of James as a child however it was his adult life that the book was focused on. The novel opened with the train journey and James meeting his new parents, Clara and Joshua Crawford but this, as well as his remaining childhood on the Crawford ranch was over in a short amount of chapters. By this point both his parents had died in accidents before James had reached the age of twenty. The story goes on to show how James improved and built on the ranch with the help of friend and employee Luke as well as Henry, an older black man who he let live on the ranch with is daughter and grandchildren – something that sparked prejudices in town.
James soon finds himself a wife and the remainder of the book recounts their life together. I admit that I was a little disappointed not to read more about James’ childhood but I began to enjoy reading about the love he had for his wife and his friendships with those living on the ranch.
One issue with this novel is that it lacks much of a climax. I was forever waiting for something bad to happen as it all seemed too good to be true and slightly predictable. That said, it was a good read and it was easy to become attached to the characters.
Steve Brigman’s historical novel <i>The Orphan Train</i> takes place in the Missouri Ozarks during the late 19th and early 20th century. Large groups of orphaned children were transported from New York across to the west where other families adopted them. Ten-year-old James was one of these children and this is his story.
Initially the title implied that the story would be about the orphan train itself or at least the life of James as a child however it was his adult life that the book was focused on. The novel opened with the train journey and James meeting his new parents, Clara and Joshua Crawford but this, as well as his remaining childhood on the Crawford ranch was over in a short amount of chapters. By this point both his parents had died in accidents before James had reached the age of twenty. The story goes on to show how James improved and built on the ranch with the help of friend and employee Luke as well as Henry, an older black man who he let live on the ranch with is daughter and grandchildren – something that sparked prejudices in town.
James soon finds himself a wife and the remainder of the book recounts their life together. I admit that I was a little disappointed not to read more about James’ childhood but I began to enjoy reading about the love he had for his wife and his friendships with those living on the ranch.
One issue with this novel is that it lacks much of a climax. I was forever waiting for something bad to happen as it all seemed too good to be true and slightly predictable. That said, it was a good read and it was easy to become attached to the characters.
Marylegs (44 KP) rated Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush, #1) in Books
Aug 14, 2019
So this book took over a month for me to read, which considering how its not a relatively long book baffles me. I was not compelled to read this book when I had a spare few minutes. I was not finding myself wanting to stay up just a little bit longer to finish the next chapter. It was honestly really lacking in so many ways.
I love reading YA fantasy/paranormal/mystical books. I love them! I have enjoyed series like House of Night, Sookie Stackhouse, Hunger Games, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I even liked Twilight back before the films. But I just don't get this book at all.
Less than a month after reading it I can barely remember anything that happened. None of the characters were likeable, swoon worthy or even vaguely pleasant. Her mother was frankly useless. The police who randomly seemed to show up completely incompetent and frankly rude (but not in a realistic way).
The 'heroine'.... if you could see or feel how hard my eyes want to roll back into my head thinking about her would give you a better understanding of how I felt towards her. She has no conviction to anything. She isn't even being portrayed as dumb, but that is what she is. Her best 'friend', just vile, not even funny at all.
The main 'love interest' .... called Patch, again with a tendon pulling eye roll. he was the only vaguely interesting character. But even there this book just complete missed the mark with me.
Honestly I have no more words for this book. It seemed to be about nothing at all, and i cant honestly remember any redeeming element of it. Honestly surprised it has 3.something stars on Goodreads. If i could give it less than 1 star I would have. I likely would have given it -Stars. Safe to say i will not be reading any of the others.
I love reading YA fantasy/paranormal/mystical books. I love them! I have enjoyed series like House of Night, Sookie Stackhouse, Hunger Games, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I even liked Twilight back before the films. But I just don't get this book at all.
Less than a month after reading it I can barely remember anything that happened. None of the characters were likeable, swoon worthy or even vaguely pleasant. Her mother was frankly useless. The police who randomly seemed to show up completely incompetent and frankly rude (but not in a realistic way).
The 'heroine'.... if you could see or feel how hard my eyes want to roll back into my head thinking about her would give you a better understanding of how I felt towards her. She has no conviction to anything. She isn't even being portrayed as dumb, but that is what she is. Her best 'friend', just vile, not even funny at all.
The main 'love interest' .... called Patch, again with a tendon pulling eye roll. he was the only vaguely interesting character. But even there this book just complete missed the mark with me.
Honestly I have no more words for this book. It seemed to be about nothing at all, and i cant honestly remember any redeeming element of it. Honestly surprised it has 3.something stars on Goodreads. If i could give it less than 1 star I would have. I likely would have given it -Stars. Safe to say i will not be reading any of the others.
This is a book I have had on my to read pile for some time, and having a bit of extra free time on my hands have finally got round to. I vaguely remember seeing the film that was made, but luckily the film wasn’t that memorable so I couldn’t remember how it ended. However, I enjoyed the book very much and realise why the film maybe didn’t do as well as was expected. Most of the characters are either hiding their emotions or a secret of some kind throughout the story, this did not portray over well in the film and just made everything pretty confusing.
On the whole this is a book about a father and daughter who love to read and have the ability to make books come to life and this appealed to me greatly. It was a slow starter but built up the characters well and I really wanted to know what happened to them. I am not saying this book was the pinnacle of literary accomplishments, but I enjoyed the fantasy, the adventure and how with some characters, even towards the end you weren’t sure if you should like them or not. For instance the character of Dustfinger who is ripped from his story into a world he despises and he yearns just to return home. You never know whether to trust him, to not trust him, to pity him or to think he is selfish. Not all the characters in Inkheart fall into a black and white category, which is refreshing, especially in a book aimed at slightly younger/teen readers.
Great amounts of cheesy humour, good general read I would definitely read the next two books as the characters are all built up now so I think the next books would pick up quicker. Would have probably enjoyed this book more when I was in my yearly teens.
On the whole this is a book about a father and daughter who love to read and have the ability to make books come to life and this appealed to me greatly. It was a slow starter but built up the characters well and I really wanted to know what happened to them. I am not saying this book was the pinnacle of literary accomplishments, but I enjoyed the fantasy, the adventure and how with some characters, even towards the end you weren’t sure if you should like them or not. For instance the character of Dustfinger who is ripped from his story into a world he despises and he yearns just to return home. You never know whether to trust him, to not trust him, to pity him or to think he is selfish. Not all the characters in Inkheart fall into a black and white category, which is refreshing, especially in a book aimed at slightly younger/teen readers.
Great amounts of cheesy humour, good general read I would definitely read the next two books as the characters are all built up now so I think the next books would pick up quicker. Would have probably enjoyed this book more when I was in my yearly teens.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Twisted Family Values in Books
Aug 16, 2019
"Always do your Thornden best!" This is the family motto in Twisted Family Values. This book travels over 30 years following the lives of two of the Thornden's, Elizabeth and Charles. Elizabeth "Bizzy", is the daughter to Claire, a no nonsense woman who is the queen of keeping up appearances. Charles "Choo" is the son of Cat, the person who everyone in the family can trust. These two are cousins and best friends and we get to see them conquer the world from the age of 12 until they reach their 40s. A lot of things they get into are not acceptable to their family, most of all Claire. Will these two be able to remain friends long into their lives, or will they just have to settle at being family?
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
When I read the description of this book, I was very excited to read it. The beginning hooked me in right away, but then throughout each section, there was a lull, a point where it felt like there was a bit too much information. There were also times when it was predictable, but I don't really have too much of an issue with that.
Everyone has drama in their family and I'm sure we all have an extended family member out there, who feels more like a friend or a sibling than a cousin or aunt or uncle. Bizzy and Choo are best friends, as they go through life, they lean on each other to learn different aspects of life, sometimes their friends and family don't understand their relationship, but they don't care.
Through their teens, college, and adulthood, this family goes through a lot, but will Biz and Charlie be able to survive it all and remain friends.
Good book and I will read more by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
When I read the description of this book, I was very excited to read it. The beginning hooked me in right away, but then throughout each section, there was a lull, a point where it felt like there was a bit too much information. There were also times when it was predictable, but I don't really have too much of an issue with that.
Everyone has drama in their family and I'm sure we all have an extended family member out there, who feels more like a friend or a sibling than a cousin or aunt or uncle. Bizzy and Choo are best friends, as they go through life, they lean on each other to learn different aspects of life, sometimes their friends and family don't understand their relationship, but they don't care.
Through their teens, college, and adulthood, this family goes through a lot, but will Biz and Charlie be able to survive it all and remain friends.
Good book and I will read more by this author.
Nicely written (2 more)
Adorable lead character
Lots of wit and humour
A Delight To Read!
Wow, what a fantastic beginning to a new series! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book from the very first page.
Shattered is the first novel of the "Drew Patrick Private Investigator" series, with PI Drew Patrick as the lead character.
Shattered begins with Cynthia and Jeffrey Holland, who are concerned for their daughter, Ashley, who is missing. Ashley, although prone to jetting off for long weekends and extended shopping trips, is very much a free spirit and has never been incommunicado for more than four days. When Ashley and another young woman, Hannah Parks, are found murdered, Drew realises he is facing two murder investigations. He is now on the trail of a contract killer and looking for the person who hired the assassin to carry out the murders.
When a third woman, Victoria Clark, vanishes from a luxury yacht and her body is washed up on shore, Drew needs to look deeper into the links between the victims. However, he finds himself in deep water with a renowned Boston crime boss.
I loved the portrayal of the relationship between Drew and his significant other, girlfriend Jessica Casey. They are "romantically involved" and have a relaxed, easy-going attitude towards one another. Drew is very thoughtful and caring of all of the important things and people in his life. He also has a good rapport with his working acquaintances. Jessica has beauty and brains, works for a Detective Agency and is very helpful to Drew as a PI.
Drew has some hilarious moments that make him adorable. I thought Shattered, though short, was very nicely written and I found it a delight to read. Though the ending was not a surprise, I loved the way the book was concluded.
Reading Shattered has inspired me to read other books by Jason Richards and I can't wait for the next one in this series!
Thank you to LibraryThing and the author for an ARC of this book.
Shattered is the first novel of the "Drew Patrick Private Investigator" series, with PI Drew Patrick as the lead character.
Shattered begins with Cynthia and Jeffrey Holland, who are concerned for their daughter, Ashley, who is missing. Ashley, although prone to jetting off for long weekends and extended shopping trips, is very much a free spirit and has never been incommunicado for more than four days. When Ashley and another young woman, Hannah Parks, are found murdered, Drew realises he is facing two murder investigations. He is now on the trail of a contract killer and looking for the person who hired the assassin to carry out the murders.
When a third woman, Victoria Clark, vanishes from a luxury yacht and her body is washed up on shore, Drew needs to look deeper into the links between the victims. However, he finds himself in deep water with a renowned Boston crime boss.
I loved the portrayal of the relationship between Drew and his significant other, girlfriend Jessica Casey. They are "romantically involved" and have a relaxed, easy-going attitude towards one another. Drew is very thoughtful and caring of all of the important things and people in his life. He also has a good rapport with his working acquaintances. Jessica has beauty and brains, works for a Detective Agency and is very helpful to Drew as a PI.
Drew has some hilarious moments that make him adorable. I thought Shattered, though short, was very nicely written and I found it a delight to read. Though the ending was not a surprise, I loved the way the book was concluded.
Reading Shattered has inspired me to read other books by Jason Richards and I can't wait for the next one in this series!
Thank you to LibraryThing and the author for an ARC of this book.
Merissa (13326 KP) rated To Look the Devil in the Eye (Broken Halos #5) in Books
Nov 7, 2019
To Look the Devil in the Eye is the penultimate book in the Broken Halos series, and MUST be read as part of the series, or it just won't make sense. This one starts where The Devil in Disguise left off.
Hel knows she needs to, but doesn't want to, help free her dad, Satanael. Eric always has her back and will do whatever he can to support her. Satanael needs to get to know his daughter, and quickly finds out she isn't prepared to just do as she is told, or accept what she knows is untrue.
As with the whole series so far, there is an awful load of sass and attitude, which I adore! I loved reading Maya Daniels' books as each of them has a strong female lead who doesn't take any c**p. Beezlebub is still my favourite demon (sorry Eric, but you're already taken!) but Colt has grown up in this one, and sticks up for Helena when no one else does. The Trowe, Narsi, also grows beyond belief in this book, but you really have to read it to understand.
Now, bearing in mind we only have one book left, you KNOW it's going to go out with a bang, on a humungous cliffhanger (because what else would Maya Daniels do?!). And I wasn't disappointed! Fair warning though, you will probably have to re-read the ending a couple of times, just to make sure you don't miss anything. That's it. I'm done for. Ms Daniels has me reading blurry words as my eyes are leaking. She has officially killed me with the ending to this book.
Do I recommend this book? Only by about 1000%. Just make sure you start at the beginning so you don't miss a single moment of attitude!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Hel knows she needs to, but doesn't want to, help free her dad, Satanael. Eric always has her back and will do whatever he can to support her. Satanael needs to get to know his daughter, and quickly finds out she isn't prepared to just do as she is told, or accept what she knows is untrue.
As with the whole series so far, there is an awful load of sass and attitude, which I adore! I loved reading Maya Daniels' books as each of them has a strong female lead who doesn't take any c**p. Beezlebub is still my favourite demon (sorry Eric, but you're already taken!) but Colt has grown up in this one, and sticks up for Helena when no one else does. The Trowe, Narsi, also grows beyond belief in this book, but you really have to read it to understand.
Now, bearing in mind we only have one book left, you KNOW it's going to go out with a bang, on a humungous cliffhanger (because what else would Maya Daniels do?!). And I wasn't disappointed! Fair warning though, you will probably have to re-read the ending a couple of times, just to make sure you don't miss anything. That's it. I'm done for. Ms Daniels has me reading blurry words as my eyes are leaking. She has officially killed me with the ending to this book.
Do I recommend this book? Only by about 1000%. Just make sure you start at the beginning so you don't miss a single moment of attitude!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Daybreakers (2009) in Movies
Nov 15, 2019
A great take on a vampire film
I can't believe I've never seen this film before. Not only do I love vampire films, I also have a soft spot for Sam Neill and Ethan Hawke, so I should've watched this a long time ago!
This is a very refreshing and original take on a vampire film. It's not an idea I've seen before, and it works really well. The background to the story and vampires is flashed over so quickly during the opening scenes and credits, and at a 1hr40 runtime this film really doesn't mess around. The vampire world looks great and I loved the grayscale and darker camera shots whenever the vampires were on screen, it made a stark contrast to the scenes set in daylight. This is such a different version of vampires to what we're used to and there are parts of this where you almost feel sorry for them.
Ethan Hawke is wonderful as Ed, and Sam Neill is deliciously wicked as he has been in other films, despite the fact I cant stop seeing him as Alan Grant! I think Willem Dafoe was a tad underused thought. The best thing I loved about this film was the gore and physical effects. It's an 18 for a reason and I loved all of the blood and guts. Admittedly some of the gore seemed a little over the top and ridiculous towards the end, but this just made it all the more hilariously enjoyable.
This film isn't perfect. I think some of the CGI is dodgy in parts which is a shame as the rest of the effects are rather good. And the sub plot about Sam Neill's daughter seemed a little flimsy. But aside from this, I think Daybreakers is a great underrated vampire film with a unique story, that seems to have gone without the recognition it deserves.
This is a very refreshing and original take on a vampire film. It's not an idea I've seen before, and it works really well. The background to the story and vampires is flashed over so quickly during the opening scenes and credits, and at a 1hr40 runtime this film really doesn't mess around. The vampire world looks great and I loved the grayscale and darker camera shots whenever the vampires were on screen, it made a stark contrast to the scenes set in daylight. This is such a different version of vampires to what we're used to and there are parts of this where you almost feel sorry for them.
Ethan Hawke is wonderful as Ed, and Sam Neill is deliciously wicked as he has been in other films, despite the fact I cant stop seeing him as Alan Grant! I think Willem Dafoe was a tad underused thought. The best thing I loved about this film was the gore and physical effects. It's an 18 for a reason and I loved all of the blood and guts. Admittedly some of the gore seemed a little over the top and ridiculous towards the end, but this just made it all the more hilariously enjoyable.
This film isn't perfect. I think some of the CGI is dodgy in parts which is a shame as the rest of the effects are rather good. And the sub plot about Sam Neill's daughter seemed a little flimsy. But aside from this, I think Daybreakers is a great underrated vampire film with a unique story, that seems to have gone without the recognition it deserves.