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Little Briar Rose
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A stained glass-styled adventure inspired by Sleeping Beauty. «Little Briar Rose is one of the...
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Children of Blood and Bone: Book 1 in Books
Feb 18, 2018
Fantastic debut novel
Have you ever reached the end of a book and yelled "NOOOOO!!!"? Because I just did. Children of Blood and Bone ends on a HUGE cliffhanger, and I'm even more upset about that than I would be normally - I got this book as an advanced reader's copy through Goodreads. So not only do I have to wait for the sequel to come out, THIS BOOK ISN'T EVEN OUT YET. *screams internally*
That massive frustration aside, I LOVED THIS BOOK. African-inspired fantasy novels are starting to crop up, along with other non-European based fantasy, and I'm loving it. (You can find Russian inspired fantasy that I've read previously here and here, and Jewish/Arab fantasy here.) Adeyemi is a Nigerian-American author, and this is her debut novel. It definitely shows some hallmarks of a debut novel - the dialogue is a bit stilted in places, and it's a little bit formulaic - but the world building is excellent.
Children of Blood and Bone is a story of oppression, and the sparks of a rebellion. I assume the rest of the trilogy will deal with the actual rebellion, but given the cliffhanger it ends on, I'm not actually sure of that. When Zélie, the main character, was very young, magic failed, and the king, who was afraid of maji, took the opportunity to kill every maji in his kingdom before they could find a way to regain their powers. Since then, every person who could have become a maji as they grew (they're marked by their white hair) has been treated as a second-class citizen. They're forced into slums, used as slave labor, kicked around by nobility and guards, made to pay higher taxes, and forbidden to breed with the other classes. They don't have magic - and they have no way to get it - but they're treated as trash by the king that hates them, and accordingly by the rest of his subjects.
At the beginning of the book, a magical artifact resurfaces that restores magic to any diviner (potential maji) that touches it. This, of course, is not okay with the king, and most of the book is about the race to use the magical artifact while being chased by the king's son and his guards who are trying to destroy it. The conflicted prince has secrets of his own, though, and as the book weaves through jungles, mountains, and seas, he wavers in his mission.
It's always difficult to review books without giving too much away about the plot, so I won't say much more about the events. I really enjoyed that they rode giant cats - leopanaires. Zélie and her allies ride a lion leopanaire, which is apparently somewhat unusual. Most of the guards ride leopards or cheetahs, while the royal family rides snow leopanaires. The magic is unique, the gods and religion are beautifully fleshed out, and overall I just really loved this world, and I'm very sad it will be so long before I can dive back into it.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
That massive frustration aside, I LOVED THIS BOOK. African-inspired fantasy novels are starting to crop up, along with other non-European based fantasy, and I'm loving it. (You can find Russian inspired fantasy that I've read previously here and here, and Jewish/Arab fantasy here.) Adeyemi is a Nigerian-American author, and this is her debut novel. It definitely shows some hallmarks of a debut novel - the dialogue is a bit stilted in places, and it's a little bit formulaic - but the world building is excellent.
Children of Blood and Bone is a story of oppression, and the sparks of a rebellion. I assume the rest of the trilogy will deal with the actual rebellion, but given the cliffhanger it ends on, I'm not actually sure of that. When Zélie, the main character, was very young, magic failed, and the king, who was afraid of maji, took the opportunity to kill every maji in his kingdom before they could find a way to regain their powers. Since then, every person who could have become a maji as they grew (they're marked by their white hair) has been treated as a second-class citizen. They're forced into slums, used as slave labor, kicked around by nobility and guards, made to pay higher taxes, and forbidden to breed with the other classes. They don't have magic - and they have no way to get it - but they're treated as trash by the king that hates them, and accordingly by the rest of his subjects.
At the beginning of the book, a magical artifact resurfaces that restores magic to any diviner (potential maji) that touches it. This, of course, is not okay with the king, and most of the book is about the race to use the magical artifact while being chased by the king's son and his guards who are trying to destroy it. The conflicted prince has secrets of his own, though, and as the book weaves through jungles, mountains, and seas, he wavers in his mission.
It's always difficult to review books without giving too much away about the plot, so I won't say much more about the events. I really enjoyed that they rode giant cats - leopanaires. Zélie and her allies ride a lion leopanaire, which is apparently somewhat unusual. Most of the guards ride leopards or cheetahs, while the royal family rides snow leopanaires. The magic is unique, the gods and religion are beautifully fleshed out, and overall I just really loved this world, and I'm very sad it will be so long before I can dive back into it.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Barrel Proof
10.0
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FBI agents Aidan "Irish" Talley and Jameson "Whiskey" Walker can't get a moment's peace. Their hunt...
M_M Romance Suspense
Last One at the Party
10.0
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THE END OF EVERYTHING WAS HER BEGINNING It's December 2023 and the world as we know it has ended....
Post-apocalyptic Pandemic UK
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Independence Day: Resurgence (2016) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
Good sci-fi, but a poor sequel
Independence Day: Resurgence has a lot in common with last year’s Jurassic World. They both are long-awaited sequels to fan-favourite blockbusters, bringing a new generation the same thrills and spills of their forbearers.
Unfortunately, it just so happens that they share the same pitfalls too. But is Independence Day: Resurgence a match for its 1996 predecessor? Or does it crash and burn?
Roland Emmerich returns to the director’s chair, bringing the same breadth of destruction he’s brought to all of his films. The Day After Tomorrow, 2012 and White House Down all prove he’s the master of the apocalypse and Resurgence is no exception.
As the Fourth of July nears, satellite engineer David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) investigates a 3,000-mile-wide mother ship that’s approaching Earth. Fortunately, 20 years earlier, nations across the world started to use recovered extra-terrestrial technology to develop an immense defence program. When the alien invaders attack with unprecedented force, the U.S. president, teams of scientists and brave fighter pilots spring into action to save the planet from a seemingly invincible enemy.
Emmerich throws everything he can at the screen in a film just shy of two hours. The pace rarely lets up and it’s a rollercoaster ride to watch. Dozens of global landmarks are destroyed as our characters race to stop the new alien invasion.
Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games), Sela Ward (Gone Girl) and Jessie Usher make up the majority of the new cast with Bill Pullman and Judd Hirsch providing a warm sense of nostalgia from the first film. There’s no return for Will Smith, with Jessie Usher playing his step-son and his character is conveniently written out.
Unfortunately, despite the talents of the new cast, the script doesn’t really give them anything to sink their teeth into and the overabundance of, admittedly breath-taking CGI, means there’s nothing there for them to react to – and it shows. Nevertheless, it’s nice to see Jeff Goldblum front and centre after nearly a decade of small film roles.
It’s just a shame that the script is wholly unoriginal. We saw most of it done in 1996, and frankly done better. Since then, there have been countless generic sci-fi flicks that have pushed the same simple premise on their audience and Resurgence suffers due to its timing more than anything else.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s all good fun IF you’re a fan of the genre, and there are some nice references to the first film. The aliens themselves look fantastic and the cinematography is generally very impressive, especially during the aerial bound action sequences.
However, things unravel at the finale. With what is undoubtedly one of the most stupid endings ever put to film, it’s hard not to laugh in amazement as you ponder just what was said around the production table to end up with a final act as ill-advised as this.
Overall, Independence Day: Resurgence has a lot going for it. A likeable new and returning cast is bolstered by brilliant, if overused, CGI and a frantic pace. Unfortunately, it’s a victim of its timing and as such is a decent sci-fi flick, but a poor sequel to its fantastic predecessor.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/06/24/good-sci-fi-but-a-poor-sequel-independence-day-resurgence-review/
Unfortunately, it just so happens that they share the same pitfalls too. But is Independence Day: Resurgence a match for its 1996 predecessor? Or does it crash and burn?
Roland Emmerich returns to the director’s chair, bringing the same breadth of destruction he’s brought to all of his films. The Day After Tomorrow, 2012 and White House Down all prove he’s the master of the apocalypse and Resurgence is no exception.
As the Fourth of July nears, satellite engineer David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) investigates a 3,000-mile-wide mother ship that’s approaching Earth. Fortunately, 20 years earlier, nations across the world started to use recovered extra-terrestrial technology to develop an immense defence program. When the alien invaders attack with unprecedented force, the U.S. president, teams of scientists and brave fighter pilots spring into action to save the planet from a seemingly invincible enemy.
Emmerich throws everything he can at the screen in a film just shy of two hours. The pace rarely lets up and it’s a rollercoaster ride to watch. Dozens of global landmarks are destroyed as our characters race to stop the new alien invasion.
Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games), Sela Ward (Gone Girl) and Jessie Usher make up the majority of the new cast with Bill Pullman and Judd Hirsch providing a warm sense of nostalgia from the first film. There’s no return for Will Smith, with Jessie Usher playing his step-son and his character is conveniently written out.
Unfortunately, despite the talents of the new cast, the script doesn’t really give them anything to sink their teeth into and the overabundance of, admittedly breath-taking CGI, means there’s nothing there for them to react to – and it shows. Nevertheless, it’s nice to see Jeff Goldblum front and centre after nearly a decade of small film roles.
It’s just a shame that the script is wholly unoriginal. We saw most of it done in 1996, and frankly done better. Since then, there have been countless generic sci-fi flicks that have pushed the same simple premise on their audience and Resurgence suffers due to its timing more than anything else.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s all good fun IF you’re a fan of the genre, and there are some nice references to the first film. The aliens themselves look fantastic and the cinematography is generally very impressive, especially during the aerial bound action sequences.
However, things unravel at the finale. With what is undoubtedly one of the most stupid endings ever put to film, it’s hard not to laugh in amazement as you ponder just what was said around the production table to end up with a final act as ill-advised as this.
Overall, Independence Day: Resurgence has a lot going for it. A likeable new and returning cast is bolstered by brilliant, if overused, CGI and a frantic pace. Unfortunately, it’s a victim of its timing and as such is a decent sci-fi flick, but a poor sequel to its fantastic predecessor.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/06/24/good-sci-fi-but-a-poor-sequel-independence-day-resurgence-review/
Saints for All Occasions
9.0
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Nora and Theresa Flynn are twenty-one and seventeen when they leave their small village in Ireland...
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Social Commerce: Marketing, Technology and Management: 2016
Efraim Turban, Judy Strauss and Linda Chiu-Han Lai
Book
This is a multidisciplinary textbook on social commerce by leading authors of e-commerce and...
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Long and Dark in Books
Apr 20, 2020
From the moment I read the synopsis for The Long and Dark, I was intrigued by this mysterious place and the bravery of this man to commence this adventure, knowing it may cost his life.
Gareth has always played by the books. Paid to do whatever people tell him to do. Never thinking deeper than what lies on the surface. Never needed to. Satisfied in his day to day world, his perfect bubble bursts when his wife and kid are infected with a disease that will kill them sooner or later.
Knowing this is the only solution, Gareth is commencing on an adventure to the mysterious Dineothan and its capital, Upelstbohr, a place unknown to many. Rumours are that this place is populated with the greatest minds alive. Other rumours are that this place is cursed and cut off from the outside world.
With no other options, our hero goes into this adventure, hoping for the best, but the path is not that easy…
My Thoughts:
Overall, I enjoyed The Long and Dark. As a character, I liked Gareth. I admired his dedication and motivation to keep going. His will to never give up to save his family left me deeply troubled, knowing how rare these characteristics are to be found in people nowadays. His sacrifice reminded me of today’s selfish humans walking on Earth, and reminded me of how precious this trait really is.
“Please feel free to visit again if you are so inclined. You will find me here. As a man with all the time in the world, reading is the only pleasure I have left.”
Gareth is also a character that does what he is told. That is what he has done all his life, and I was so bored to see him getting in trouble over and over again in this book, because he followed other people’s advice. However, he does learn from this, and we can see a huge character development of him by the end of this book. That scene was remarkable. A pleasure to read.
Apart from Gareth, I couldn’t really connect with any other character. They were all coming and going as far as I was concerned. I didn’t invest any emotions into them whatsoever. At times, I was also bored with the plot, as it felt we are not going anywhere for a couple of pages.
An interesting adventure read for sure, but not a remarkable one, unfortunately. It is a great book to spend your free time on, but you might not remember it after a year. I still recommend The Long and Dark to the adventure seekers!
Gareth has always played by the books. Paid to do whatever people tell him to do. Never thinking deeper than what lies on the surface. Never needed to. Satisfied in his day to day world, his perfect bubble bursts when his wife and kid are infected with a disease that will kill them sooner or later.
Knowing this is the only solution, Gareth is commencing on an adventure to the mysterious Dineothan and its capital, Upelstbohr, a place unknown to many. Rumours are that this place is populated with the greatest minds alive. Other rumours are that this place is cursed and cut off from the outside world.
With no other options, our hero goes into this adventure, hoping for the best, but the path is not that easy…
My Thoughts:
Overall, I enjoyed The Long and Dark. As a character, I liked Gareth. I admired his dedication and motivation to keep going. His will to never give up to save his family left me deeply troubled, knowing how rare these characteristics are to be found in people nowadays. His sacrifice reminded me of today’s selfish humans walking on Earth, and reminded me of how precious this trait really is.
“Please feel free to visit again if you are so inclined. You will find me here. As a man with all the time in the world, reading is the only pleasure I have left.”
Gareth is also a character that does what he is told. That is what he has done all his life, and I was so bored to see him getting in trouble over and over again in this book, because he followed other people’s advice. However, he does learn from this, and we can see a huge character development of him by the end of this book. That scene was remarkable. A pleasure to read.
Apart from Gareth, I couldn’t really connect with any other character. They were all coming and going as far as I was concerned. I didn’t invest any emotions into them whatsoever. At times, I was also bored with the plot, as it felt we are not going anywhere for a couple of pages.
An interesting adventure read for sure, but not a remarkable one, unfortunately. It is a great book to spend your free time on, but you might not remember it after a year. I still recommend The Long and Dark to the adventure seekers!
From the Source - Japan
Book
Lonely Planet presents Japan's most authentic dishes - direct from the kitchens where they were...