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Jeremy King (346 KP) rated Mad Shelia (2016) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
You have to watch 1000 bad films to understand what make a film great
Where to start. I love watching films that are out of left field. So when I heard about this i had to look for it, i found it on youtube in 2 parts, it was to be to 60min tv movies but it works better as 1 1h film.
What is China known for? Yes that is it knock offs. Mad Max: Fury Road was nominated for Best Picture so lets rip it off. So i have seen that in the past but this was so low budget. We are talking looking for change in tbe couch low budget.
Some of the vehicles look like they used cardboard on them as props.
CG effects that were not needed that you can point out and would look better if left out.
In seens with motorcycles they were going so slow that the front tired would wobble to try to stay balanced.
The best acting came from the goofy sidekick.
Shelia was trying to look like a male in the beginning, you would half to be deaf and blind not to figure out she was a female.
They are in a wasteland and everyone is clean.
Acting skills or the lack of.
And many more problems.
If you ever think about watching this movie
DONT DO IT!! I WATCHED IT FOR YOU
You will get more enjoyment out of the trailer. If i had seen this in the theater i would have walked out. My friend and i could say after watching this was. WTF and we will never talk about this again. But after tradhing it i can say it had 1 or 2 good songs on the sound track
What is China known for? Yes that is it knock offs. Mad Max: Fury Road was nominated for Best Picture so lets rip it off. So i have seen that in the past but this was so low budget. We are talking looking for change in tbe couch low budget.
Some of the vehicles look like they used cardboard on them as props.
CG effects that were not needed that you can point out and would look better if left out.
In seens with motorcycles they were going so slow that the front tired would wobble to try to stay balanced.
The best acting came from the goofy sidekick.
Shelia was trying to look like a male in the beginning, you would half to be deaf and blind not to figure out she was a female.
They are in a wasteland and everyone is clean.
Acting skills or the lack of.
And many more problems.
If you ever think about watching this movie
DONT DO IT!! I WATCHED IT FOR YOU
You will get more enjoyment out of the trailer. If i had seen this in the theater i would have walked out. My friend and i could say after watching this was. WTF and we will never talk about this again. But after tradhing it i can say it had 1 or 2 good songs on the sound track
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2099 KP) rated Sign of Foul Play in Books
Nov 27, 2020
All Signs Point to a Winner
Two earthquakes in the middle of the night made it hard for Connor Westphal to sleep. However, she is going about her Monday morning when she gets a message from her friend Dan telling her there is a news story at the construction site he is working at. When Connor arrives to get the scoop for her weekly paper, she finds that someone has discovered the dead body of Cullen Delancy. The working theory is that he fell to his death when the earthquake struck, but what was he doing on the site in the middle of the night?
I’ve got to admit, I roll my eyes a bit when I see an earthquake pop up in a story set in California, but I quickly got over that here since it made for an interesting set up to the mystery. There are plenty of twists and surprises to keep us guessing. I did figure a couple of them out early, but I was still plenty surprised when Connor pieced it together at the end. Connor is deaf, which sets her apart from other series leads, and I love seeing how that plays out in the story. She’s a strong main character, and the rest of the cast is wonderful as well. The story edges just a bit toward the outskirts of cozies, but as long as you know that going in, you’ll be fine. The book came out in 1998, and it is really amazing how much technology has changed our lives in the past couple of decades. This is a great second in the series, and I’m looking forward to visiting Connor again soon.
I’ve got to admit, I roll my eyes a bit when I see an earthquake pop up in a story set in California, but I quickly got over that here since it made for an interesting set up to the mystery. There are plenty of twists and surprises to keep us guessing. I did figure a couple of them out early, but I was still plenty surprised when Connor pieced it together at the end. Connor is deaf, which sets her apart from other series leads, and I love seeing how that plays out in the story. She’s a strong main character, and the rest of the cast is wonderful as well. The story edges just a bit toward the outskirts of cozies, but as long as you know that going in, you’ll be fine. The book came out in 1998, and it is really amazing how much technology has changed our lives in the past couple of decades. This is a great second in the series, and I’m looking forward to visiting Connor again soon.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated The Predator (2018) in Movies
Oct 15, 2019 (Updated Dec 4, 2019)
A pretty shoddy sequel with some good moments here and there
There a lot of issues that kept The Predator from being a decent movie...
The special effects are a big one. A lot of the CGI in this is pretty dodgy. Especially for gore moments. It boggles my mind why a lot of horror films these days favour CGI over practical effects. Films like Alien, and The Thing (80s) stand as a testament to how practical horror work can be truly memorable.
In The Predator however, it's looks cartoony and fake - at one point I had to check I was watching a movie from 2018!
The dog creatures also look horrible - just bland and dark grey CGI blobs with teeth.
The 'classic' Predator that we see throughout this film is for the most part a guy in a suit, and it looks way better.
The characters are also an issue. They're not on the same level as awful as the characters from Predators, but they're all just unfunny walking cliches, which is a shame as there are some talented actors involved, trying to do the best with what they've been given.
The script attempts to shoehorn in plot strands that are not particularly relative to the overall narrative, including a complete tone deaf side plot about autism, which drags down what should be a pretty straightforward story.
The action isn't too bad, pretty entertaining as far as popcorn horror blockbusters go, with some creative deaths thrown in, but once again, the films over reliance on average CGI sours it all somewhat.
The Predator is not the awful film I had heard about, but it's predictably not a scratch on the original. Maybe it's time for the franchise to wrap it up.
The special effects are a big one. A lot of the CGI in this is pretty dodgy. Especially for gore moments. It boggles my mind why a lot of horror films these days favour CGI over practical effects. Films like Alien, and The Thing (80s) stand as a testament to how practical horror work can be truly memorable.
In The Predator however, it's looks cartoony and fake - at one point I had to check I was watching a movie from 2018!
The dog creatures also look horrible - just bland and dark grey CGI blobs with teeth.
The 'classic' Predator that we see throughout this film is for the most part a guy in a suit, and it looks way better.
The characters are also an issue. They're not on the same level as awful as the characters from Predators, but they're all just unfunny walking cliches, which is a shame as there are some talented actors involved, trying to do the best with what they've been given.
The script attempts to shoehorn in plot strands that are not particularly relative to the overall narrative, including a complete tone deaf side plot about autism, which drags down what should be a pretty straightforward story.
The action isn't too bad, pretty entertaining as far as popcorn horror blockbusters go, with some creative deaths thrown in, but once again, the films over reliance on average CGI sours it all somewhat.
The Predator is not the awful film I had heard about, but it's predictably not a scratch on the original. Maybe it's time for the franchise to wrap it up.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Sound of Metal (2019) in Movies
Mar 22, 2021
Rooted in Humanity
SOUND OF METAL has a pretty simple “one-line summary”: Heavy Metal Drummer deals with going deaf. But is it the humanity at the center of this film that makes it worthwhile.
Written and Directed by Darius Marder (THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES), SOUND OF METAL tells the tale of Ruben, the drummer of the Heavy Metal Band BLACK GAMMON, who must come to terms with suddenly losing most of his hearing.
Starring Riz Ahmed - in an Oscar nominated turn - SOUND OF METAL follows Ruben’s journey as he comes to terms with the wrinkle that his life has thrown at him and the silence makes him study the non-stillness inside of him.
This all sounds like it could be corny, right? Well…under the guidance of Marder and with a central performance that is grounded and real by Ahmed, it is anything but. This film finds itself in it’s humanity and the very real, personal interactions.
Credit must start with the performance of Ahmed (heretofore known to me as Bodhi Rook in STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE), he is in almost every scene in the film and he must bring a vulnerability to the screen for the audience to care about him - and he accomplishes this in spades. Even when his character makes mistakes (and, trust me, he makes a TON of them), you end up rooting for him to succeed.
Paul Raci was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Joe, the head of the Deaf Community for Addicts that Ruben eventually goes to. His turn is also grounded in the reality - the reality of addicts who have yet another twist in their life thrown at them. Raci has a road-weary look to him and gives off an aura of someone who has seen - and heard - it all, so must take a “tough love” approach. This performance works very well.
Also strong in this film is Olivia Cooke (READY PLAYER ONE) as Lou, Ruben’s girlfriend/lead singer of the Metal Band they are in. She must make some tough decisions in the course of this film - and you end up emotionally engaged in her story as well. Both Ruben and Lou are good people at heart that must make hard choices, you root for both of them to succeed even though, through these choices, pain and suffering and separation must occur.
All of this sounds good, but there has been many a film that falters under the “good intentions” of it’s Director/Screenwriter, but SOUND OF METAL avoids most of the pitfalls of these types of films by not dwelling too much on the pain and suffering of the leads - it’s there, but (as Joe would say), deal with it. I’m a little surprised that Marder did not get a Best Director Oscar nod (the work is that good), but am glad that he did get an Original Screenplay nomination.
And…as you can imagine…a film about Deafness is reliant on the Sound Design to help bring that aspect of Ruben’s experience to the audience - and this film delivers the goods. The sound team was, rightfully, nominated for the Oscar for sound design - and they should easily win - for the sound is another character in this film and that is what, ultimately, makes this film works. The audience is put in Ruben’s shoes and, at times, are unable to hear what others on the screen are saying.
A very satisfying film experience - one that needs to be seen with no distractions (especially sound distractions), so find a quiet time, lower the shades and dive into the world of the SOUND OF METAL.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
Written and Directed by Darius Marder (THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES), SOUND OF METAL tells the tale of Ruben, the drummer of the Heavy Metal Band BLACK GAMMON, who must come to terms with suddenly losing most of his hearing.
Starring Riz Ahmed - in an Oscar nominated turn - SOUND OF METAL follows Ruben’s journey as he comes to terms with the wrinkle that his life has thrown at him and the silence makes him study the non-stillness inside of him.
This all sounds like it could be corny, right? Well…under the guidance of Marder and with a central performance that is grounded and real by Ahmed, it is anything but. This film finds itself in it’s humanity and the very real, personal interactions.
Credit must start with the performance of Ahmed (heretofore known to me as Bodhi Rook in STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE), he is in almost every scene in the film and he must bring a vulnerability to the screen for the audience to care about him - and he accomplishes this in spades. Even when his character makes mistakes (and, trust me, he makes a TON of them), you end up rooting for him to succeed.
Paul Raci was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Joe, the head of the Deaf Community for Addicts that Ruben eventually goes to. His turn is also grounded in the reality - the reality of addicts who have yet another twist in their life thrown at them. Raci has a road-weary look to him and gives off an aura of someone who has seen - and heard - it all, so must take a “tough love” approach. This performance works very well.
Also strong in this film is Olivia Cooke (READY PLAYER ONE) as Lou, Ruben’s girlfriend/lead singer of the Metal Band they are in. She must make some tough decisions in the course of this film - and you end up emotionally engaged in her story as well. Both Ruben and Lou are good people at heart that must make hard choices, you root for both of them to succeed even though, through these choices, pain and suffering and separation must occur.
All of this sounds good, but there has been many a film that falters under the “good intentions” of it’s Director/Screenwriter, but SOUND OF METAL avoids most of the pitfalls of these types of films by not dwelling too much on the pain and suffering of the leads - it’s there, but (as Joe would say), deal with it. I’m a little surprised that Marder did not get a Best Director Oscar nod (the work is that good), but am glad that he did get an Original Screenplay nomination.
And…as you can imagine…a film about Deafness is reliant on the Sound Design to help bring that aspect of Ruben’s experience to the audience - and this film delivers the goods. The sound team was, rightfully, nominated for the Oscar for sound design - and they should easily win - for the sound is another character in this film and that is what, ultimately, makes this film works. The audience is put in Ruben’s shoes and, at times, are unable to hear what others on the screen are saying.
A very satisfying film experience - one that needs to be seen with no distractions (especially sound distractions), so find a quiet time, lower the shades and dive into the world of the SOUND OF METAL.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated My Lovely Wife in Books
Jun 5, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
In Samantha Downing’s book ‘My Lovely Wife‘, Millicent has designed her life just how she wants it. Nice house. Good job. Two kids. And a husband, she has been able to manipulate throughout their fifteen years of marriage- even to the point of sharing the same delightful hobby.
Murder.
Now, deaf ‘Tobias’ as he’s known to a few select and unlucky few, (when he is scouting around for their next victim), is beginning to see how what they do is starting to affect their own kids. His daughter is scared of this ‘serial killer’ in their home town, and his son is learning to be as manipulative as his mother. But this is nowhere near his biggest issue.
Of course, ‘Tobias’ the husband is no saint, but he’s been so well-trained in the art of doing what his wife Millicent tells him, he just gets on with his part of the job of victim selection, and let’s her do the rest. This his how they get their kicks. He’s never even questioned it.
Until the last woman they drugged, kidnapped and Millicent ‘took care of’ turns up dead in an abandoned building. She’d kept her alive for over a year and never even told him. What was Millicent doing with her all this time? Why didn’t she keep him updated? After all, they were partners in crime, weren’t they?
This is a creepy book about a couple with some very strange habits. On the outside they look like the average family, but together, in private they hold secrets that they’ll take to the grave. At least hope to. But when murder becomes a dangerous game for life, and not everyone is playing by the rules, things are not always as black and white. And that, dear reader, is the deadly sting in this tale, which will have you reading until the sun comes up the next morning and the truth is revealed.
I couldn’t read this fast enough! What a thrilling book this turned out to be!
Murder.
Now, deaf ‘Tobias’ as he’s known to a few select and unlucky few, (when he is scouting around for their next victim), is beginning to see how what they do is starting to affect their own kids. His daughter is scared of this ‘serial killer’ in their home town, and his son is learning to be as manipulative as his mother. But this is nowhere near his biggest issue.
Of course, ‘Tobias’ the husband is no saint, but he’s been so well-trained in the art of doing what his wife Millicent tells him, he just gets on with his part of the job of victim selection, and let’s her do the rest. This his how they get their kicks. He’s never even questioned it.
Until the last woman they drugged, kidnapped and Millicent ‘took care of’ turns up dead in an abandoned building. She’d kept her alive for over a year and never even told him. What was Millicent doing with her all this time? Why didn’t she keep him updated? After all, they were partners in crime, weren’t they?
This is a creepy book about a couple with some very strange habits. On the outside they look like the average family, but together, in private they hold secrets that they’ll take to the grave. At least hope to. But when murder becomes a dangerous game for life, and not everyone is playing by the rules, things are not always as black and white. And that, dear reader, is the deadly sting in this tale, which will have you reading until the sun comes up the next morning and the truth is revealed.
I couldn’t read this fast enough! What a thrilling book this turned out to be!
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Sons of Blackbird Mountain (Blackbird Mountain, #1) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
Oh, readers...Prepare your heart for this one. Sons of Blackbird Mountain is a story that you will want to savor. Let the words sink into your soul and let them move you. Because they will...
I have never seen American Sign Language portrayed so precise as I have in this book. Having been raised by an interpreter for the Deaf, I have been immersed in the language and the culture my whole life. I say "Brava!" to Joanne Bischof for not only taking on this astounding task, but accomplishing it successfully and with excellence.
I can't get this story out of my heart or my head. Thor's struggles and his strength. His love and his protectiveness. Aven is the sister of my heart. With her compassion, empathy, understanding, and even her fears...she is a beautiful woman inside and out. I want to live in this story with them. I want to walk the orchard. Make a pie in Ida's kitchen. Go swimming...Ok, you have to read the story to understand...And through it all, watching Thor and Aven find their strength, not in each other alone, but in God. Learning to lean on HIM to provide. Letting HIS strength guide and direct their paths. And to show HIS love to those around them, even if they are the "enemy".
You all know how much I love The Lady and the Lionheart, well...Thor is sure giving Charlie a run for his money. I think my heart might explode with all the feelings and emotions emitted by these two stories and heroes.
Joanne Bischof continues to expand the boundaries of Christian Fiction. With passion, tension, conflict, and romance we are drawn into the world of Aven and the Norgaard brothers.
I received a complimentary copy of Sons of Blackbird Mountain from the publisher through Book Look. I also received an ebook copy through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
I have never seen American Sign Language portrayed so precise as I have in this book. Having been raised by an interpreter for the Deaf, I have been immersed in the language and the culture my whole life. I say "Brava!" to Joanne Bischof for not only taking on this astounding task, but accomplishing it successfully and with excellence.
I can't get this story out of my heart or my head. Thor's struggles and his strength. His love and his protectiveness. Aven is the sister of my heart. With her compassion, empathy, understanding, and even her fears...she is a beautiful woman inside and out. I want to live in this story with them. I want to walk the orchard. Make a pie in Ida's kitchen. Go swimming...Ok, you have to read the story to understand...And through it all, watching Thor and Aven find their strength, not in each other alone, but in God. Learning to lean on HIM to provide. Letting HIS strength guide and direct their paths. And to show HIS love to those around them, even if they are the "enemy".
You all know how much I love The Lady and the Lionheart, well...Thor is sure giving Charlie a run for his money. I think my heart might explode with all the feelings and emotions emitted by these two stories and heroes.
Joanne Bischof continues to expand the boundaries of Christian Fiction. With passion, tension, conflict, and romance we are drawn into the world of Aven and the Norgaard brothers.
I received a complimentary copy of Sons of Blackbird Mountain from the publisher through Book Look. I also received an ebook copy through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime in TV
Jul 7, 2020
That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime is a 2018 anime series animated by 8-Bit with the light novel written by Fuse. It was directed by Yasuhito Kikuchi, with Atsushi Nakayama as assistant director. Kazuyuki Fudeyasu handled music composition with Ryouma Ebata designing the characters and Takahiro Kishida providing monster designs. The series was Simulcast by both Crunchyroll and Funimation.
Minami Satoru was a 37-year old manga loving, corporate worker until one day his life ended in tragedy. While meeting up with a friend for dinner, he sees a man with a knife run up and shoves his friend out of the way, but is fatally injured and dies. When Satoru regains consciousness, he discovers he has been reborn as a "slime", a famously weak character from video games and now in a different world. Blind, deaf, and weak, things are pretty grim initially but he finds he has some new abilities which he uses to gain both friends and enemies in a whole new world.
This anime is pretty cool. It's an "isekai" anime which means it's set in a different world; and is also a genre of anime that I enjoy. It has a fantasy element too and a variety of different races of characters. This series has quite a bit of "fan service" so it might not be for everyone. Also the main character is pretty "op" (over-powered), so you might not find it as compelling as other anime. I felt that they were able to make the conflict that arises work very well with the storyline and with the introduction of new characters. One thing that I didn't think I was going to like, was how he has abilities similar to a character in a video game and learns more over the series. This wound up being really cool in the way they show him use it and develop his abilities as he uses them against enemies. I really liked the animation and designs of the characters and monsters too.
Minami Satoru was a 37-year old manga loving, corporate worker until one day his life ended in tragedy. While meeting up with a friend for dinner, he sees a man with a knife run up and shoves his friend out of the way, but is fatally injured and dies. When Satoru regains consciousness, he discovers he has been reborn as a "slime", a famously weak character from video games and now in a different world. Blind, deaf, and weak, things are pretty grim initially but he finds he has some new abilities which he uses to gain both friends and enemies in a whole new world.
This anime is pretty cool. It's an "isekai" anime which means it's set in a different world; and is also a genre of anime that I enjoy. It has a fantasy element too and a variety of different races of characters. This series has quite a bit of "fan service" so it might not be for everyone. Also the main character is pretty "op" (over-powered), so you might not find it as compelling as other anime. I felt that they were able to make the conflict that arises work very well with the storyline and with the introduction of new characters. One thing that I didn't think I was going to like, was how he has abilities similar to a character in a video game and learns more over the series. This wound up being really cool in the way they show him use it and develop his abilities as he uses them against enemies. I really liked the animation and designs of the characters and monsters too.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Silent Night in Books
Nov 8, 2020
This is the second book featuring the British Sign Language interpreter, Paige Northwood, and the second I have read and although you don't particularly have to have read the first (The Silent House), it does help.
Here we have a complex story of the murder of a teacher and the disappearance of one of his pupils; the police employ Paige as the interpreter but she soon becomes embroiled in the investigation whilst she is also having to deal with a lot of angst in her own life and herein lies the problem for me. The story already covers a lot of themes; the deaf community, bullying, coercion, domestic abuse, relationships and that's before we get to the murder and the missing child! On top of all this, there is a lot of time taken up about Paige and, I felt, it was just too much and I found it became more and more tedious, repetitive and annoying so by the end, it had an impact on my enjoyment of the book. I am sure however that there are many out there who will find this focus on the main character and her story appealing as opposed to the crime itself but it just spoiled it a bit for me I'm afraid.
Putting that aside, the twists and red herrings were excellent and I was constantly trying to guess who-done-it. The characters were well developed and interesting. The pace was a little slow to begin with but picked up in the second half/final third. The look into the frustrations experienced by the police when witnesses/suspects don't cooperate and withhold vital information was infuriating and probably pretty accurate!
Overall, a pretty solid book but just a bit too much focus on the main character for me.
Thank you to Avon Books UK via NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in return for an unbiased review.
Here we have a complex story of the murder of a teacher and the disappearance of one of his pupils; the police employ Paige as the interpreter but she soon becomes embroiled in the investigation whilst she is also having to deal with a lot of angst in her own life and herein lies the problem for me. The story already covers a lot of themes; the deaf community, bullying, coercion, domestic abuse, relationships and that's before we get to the murder and the missing child! On top of all this, there is a lot of time taken up about Paige and, I felt, it was just too much and I found it became more and more tedious, repetitive and annoying so by the end, it had an impact on my enjoyment of the book. I am sure however that there are many out there who will find this focus on the main character and her story appealing as opposed to the crime itself but it just spoiled it a bit for me I'm afraid.
Putting that aside, the twists and red herrings were excellent and I was constantly trying to guess who-done-it. The characters were well developed and interesting. The pace was a little slow to begin with but picked up in the second half/final third. The look into the frustrations experienced by the police when witnesses/suspects don't cooperate and withhold vital information was infuriating and probably pretty accurate!
Overall, a pretty solid book but just a bit too much focus on the main character for me.
Thank you to Avon Books UK via NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in return for an unbiased review.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated The Alloy of Law: A Mistborn Novel in Books
Jan 25, 2018
A fun romp
The Alloy of Law is a fun romp in the world of Sanderson's earlier Mistborn trilogy. The world has advanced three hundred years, from medieval technology levels to about Victorian levels. Electricity is just starting to be found in homes, though people are suspicious of it, and trains and guns are fairly widespread. Think Victorian England meets the Wild West and you'll be in the ballpark. The main characters of the Mistborn trilogy have faded into legend by the time The Alloy of Law takes place, and it's really interesting to see how they are revered (or not) by the characters in this book.
The Mistborn series has a well-developed system of magic that I found unique, creative, and complex but easy to follow. Allomancy is the art of burning ingested metals to do particular effects; different metals (and the ability to burn them) allow you to do different things. Tin, for example, lets you enhance your senses, leading to the nickname "Tin-eyes." Burning steel lets a Coinshot "push" on metals, telekinetically moving the metal away from themselves. (Or themselves away from the metal, if the metal too secure to be moved!) On the flipside of the coin (Ha!) is Feruchemy - a feruchemist uses metal accessories, often in the form of armbands or other jewelry, to "store up" his resources - he can become deaf and blind for a time, in order to use that resource later and have super-hearing and eagle-eyes, for example. Nothing is ultimately gained or lost, just stored until it's needed.
The writing in Alloy was certainly not as deep as the Mistborn trilogy, but Sanderson has said in interviews that this was supposed to be a fun break between books. If you're looking for a quick, fun adventure story, this is definitely a good book to pick up. From the witty banter between characters to the surprising choice of romance, this book kept my attention from start to finish. Sanderson is a very skilled author and I am eagerly looking forward to the sequel, as the book ends on a cliffhanger!
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
The Mistborn series has a well-developed system of magic that I found unique, creative, and complex but easy to follow. Allomancy is the art of burning ingested metals to do particular effects; different metals (and the ability to burn them) allow you to do different things. Tin, for example, lets you enhance your senses, leading to the nickname "Tin-eyes." Burning steel lets a Coinshot "push" on metals, telekinetically moving the metal away from themselves. (Or themselves away from the metal, if the metal too secure to be moved!) On the flipside of the coin (Ha!) is Feruchemy - a feruchemist uses metal accessories, often in the form of armbands or other jewelry, to "store up" his resources - he can become deaf and blind for a time, in order to use that resource later and have super-hearing and eagle-eyes, for example. Nothing is ultimately gained or lost, just stored until it's needed.
The writing in Alloy was certainly not as deep as the Mistborn trilogy, but Sanderson has said in interviews that this was supposed to be a fun break between books. If you're looking for a quick, fun adventure story, this is definitely a good book to pick up. From the witty banter between characters to the surprising choice of romance, this book kept my attention from start to finish. Sanderson is a very skilled author and I am eagerly looking forward to the sequel, as the book ends on a cliffhanger!
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
