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Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Sausage Party (2016) in Movies
Jun 11, 2019
Utterly Ridiculous
Just when Sharknado: the 4th Awakens made you think film-making couldn’t get any more ridiculous, a movie like Sausage Party comes along to remind you that Hollywood can always go that one step further to mind-boggling peculiarity.
Of course, that’s not always a bad thing, there have been countless weird and wacky films over the years that have gone on to become cult classics – look at Kick-Ass or even Pulp Fiction for examples of that. But for every Pulp Fiction there’s a Sharknado. So is Sausage Party good weird or as stale as a month-old bagel?
From the mind of Seth Rogen, Sausage Party is a strictly adults only animation that combines hugely offensive language and racial stereotypes with surprisingly meaningful religious undertones. And do you know what? It’s a breath of fresh air.
Life is good for all the food items that occupy the shelves at the local supermarket. Frank (Seth Rogen) the sausage, Brenda (Kristen Wiig) the hot dog bun, Teresa Taco and Sammy Bagel Jr. (Edward Norton) can’t wait to go home with a happy customer. Soon, their world comes crashing down as poor Frank learns the horrifying truth that he will eventually become a meal. After warning his pals about their similar fate, the panicked perishables devise a plan to escape from their human enemies.
Directors Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan take Rogen’s intriguing premise and inject a warmly familiar animation style, distancing itself just enough to make any comparisons simply inconceivable. Sausage Party is like nothing you will have ever seen.
The voice-acting is great too. Rogen plays his usual film staple – in sausage form – with the spicy Salma Hayek outdoing everyone else as a lustful taco. Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Michael Cera and Jonah Hill also lend their familiar voices to a hot-dog bun, a bottle of spirit and two other frankfurters respectively.
Elsewhere, the comedy, for the most part, hits the spot. As dreadful as it sounds, the racial stereotyping works incredibly well in food form. British tea, Mexican taco shells and German sauerkraut will have you rolling about the aisles with their outrageous vulgarity, but everyone needs to release their inner teenager once in a while.
Unfortunately, the films standout sequence has already been shown in the trailer – a side-splitting food-eye view of a normal kitchen, before every edible item is butchered; that poor Irish potato didn’t stand a chance. This is a real shame as the rest of the film doesn’t quite match up to the standard of that scene.
Nevertheless, there’ll be chuckles throughout as numerous celebrities are parodied in food form. One in particular, immortalised in chewing gum, is incredibly well thought out.
And that’s where Sausage Party succeeds the most. Underneath the polished animation and crude humour, this film is actually kind of clever. It tackles religion, war, race, sexuality and food waste very well indeed and that’s something the genre doesn’t ask for. It’s just unfortunate that it’s not quite as funny as the trailer would have you believe.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/09/03/utterly-ridiculous-sausage-party-review/
Of course, that’s not always a bad thing, there have been countless weird and wacky films over the years that have gone on to become cult classics – look at Kick-Ass or even Pulp Fiction for examples of that. But for every Pulp Fiction there’s a Sharknado. So is Sausage Party good weird or as stale as a month-old bagel?
From the mind of Seth Rogen, Sausage Party is a strictly adults only animation that combines hugely offensive language and racial stereotypes with surprisingly meaningful religious undertones. And do you know what? It’s a breath of fresh air.
Life is good for all the food items that occupy the shelves at the local supermarket. Frank (Seth Rogen) the sausage, Brenda (Kristen Wiig) the hot dog bun, Teresa Taco and Sammy Bagel Jr. (Edward Norton) can’t wait to go home with a happy customer. Soon, their world comes crashing down as poor Frank learns the horrifying truth that he will eventually become a meal. After warning his pals about their similar fate, the panicked perishables devise a plan to escape from their human enemies.
Directors Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan take Rogen’s intriguing premise and inject a warmly familiar animation style, distancing itself just enough to make any comparisons simply inconceivable. Sausage Party is like nothing you will have ever seen.
The voice-acting is great too. Rogen plays his usual film staple – in sausage form – with the spicy Salma Hayek outdoing everyone else as a lustful taco. Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Michael Cera and Jonah Hill also lend their familiar voices to a hot-dog bun, a bottle of spirit and two other frankfurters respectively.
Elsewhere, the comedy, for the most part, hits the spot. As dreadful as it sounds, the racial stereotyping works incredibly well in food form. British tea, Mexican taco shells and German sauerkraut will have you rolling about the aisles with their outrageous vulgarity, but everyone needs to release their inner teenager once in a while.
Unfortunately, the films standout sequence has already been shown in the trailer – a side-splitting food-eye view of a normal kitchen, before every edible item is butchered; that poor Irish potato didn’t stand a chance. This is a real shame as the rest of the film doesn’t quite match up to the standard of that scene.
Nevertheless, there’ll be chuckles throughout as numerous celebrities are parodied in food form. One in particular, immortalised in chewing gum, is incredibly well thought out.
And that’s where Sausage Party succeeds the most. Underneath the polished animation and crude humour, this film is actually kind of clever. It tackles religion, war, race, sexuality and food waste very well indeed and that’s something the genre doesn’t ask for. It’s just unfortunate that it’s not quite as funny as the trailer would have you believe.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/09/03/utterly-ridiculous-sausage-party-review/
Alice (12 KP) rated The Ninth Rain in Books
Jul 3, 2018
<i>I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review</i>
The Ninth Rain is the first book of a new trilogy from my new go-to author Jen Williams. As in her previous books, Jen Williams creates a world like no other, a world where witches, vampires (of a sort) and giant bats coexist to an extent; a world where gods existed and massive war-beasts once lived and fought, where parasitic beetles are the enemy.
I invite you all to most heartily buy this book, read this book, pause and read it again and again.
Once again Jen Williams has created a trio of characters to love in similar veins to her Copper Cat trilogy, though different in their individual way:
-Noon – a fell-witch from the plains imprisoned in the Winnowry for her crime of being born with power.
-Lady Vincenza ‘Vintage’ de Grazon – A human scholar with a love of all things Jure’lia, a constant hunt for knowledge and cash to splash.
-Tormalin the Oathless – an Eboran mercenary trained in the ways of The House of the Long Night.
Three brilliant characters that each bring their own special flair to this book. Tor is witty and sarcastic, Vintage is much the same but show her eccentricities and has a heart of gold, Noon originally so frightened comes into her own on the journey she shares with Vintage and Tor. Another perfect trio of characters.
The plot for this book resolves around the Jure’lia- or worm-people- who came to Sarn and waged war; the Eighth Rain came from the Eboran God Ygseril, a silvery birth of war-beasts who fought off the Jure’lia and their Behemoths and then passed on themselves. Since the end of the Eighth Rain the war-beasts have been extinct and Ebora started to die.
The book follows Vintage and Tor on their journey through Mushenka and the rest of Sarn in pursuit of knowledge of the Jure’lia- eccentric explorer Vintage’s Poison of choice. They enter the Wild and come across Noon, an escaped fell-witch masquerading as an agent of the Winnowry and from then on their journey becomes a lot less regular and and lot more interesting!
Lots of fire! Lots of action and the sweetest romantic creation I’ve read in a long time – a minor bit of romance that does not detract from the overwhelming fantasy that is this book.
Jen’s world building skills are akin to no other, her cities are ancient but with a modern flair, her enemies disgustingly brilliant and savagely evil, her heroes full of charm and heart. The writing style sucks you in and doesn’t let you go until long after you’ve hit the end of the book and leaves you wanting more.
There are no words strong enough for me to describe how utterly brilliant The Ninth Rain was – not just the story the name comes from but the overall storyline. The characters, plot, balance between good versus evil and everything in between – outstanding.
A great read with heart and soul and epic beasties. I highly recommend this book.
The Ninth Rain is the first book of a new trilogy from my new go-to author Jen Williams. As in her previous books, Jen Williams creates a world like no other, a world where witches, vampires (of a sort) and giant bats coexist to an extent; a world where gods existed and massive war-beasts once lived and fought, where parasitic beetles are the enemy.
I invite you all to most heartily buy this book, read this book, pause and read it again and again.
Once again Jen Williams has created a trio of characters to love in similar veins to her Copper Cat trilogy, though different in their individual way:
-Noon – a fell-witch from the plains imprisoned in the Winnowry for her crime of being born with power.
-Lady Vincenza ‘Vintage’ de Grazon – A human scholar with a love of all things Jure’lia, a constant hunt for knowledge and cash to splash.
-Tormalin the Oathless – an Eboran mercenary trained in the ways of The House of the Long Night.
Three brilliant characters that each bring their own special flair to this book. Tor is witty and sarcastic, Vintage is much the same but show her eccentricities and has a heart of gold, Noon originally so frightened comes into her own on the journey she shares with Vintage and Tor. Another perfect trio of characters.
The plot for this book resolves around the Jure’lia- or worm-people- who came to Sarn and waged war; the Eighth Rain came from the Eboran God Ygseril, a silvery birth of war-beasts who fought off the Jure’lia and their Behemoths and then passed on themselves. Since the end of the Eighth Rain the war-beasts have been extinct and Ebora started to die.
The book follows Vintage and Tor on their journey through Mushenka and the rest of Sarn in pursuit of knowledge of the Jure’lia- eccentric explorer Vintage’s Poison of choice. They enter the Wild and come across Noon, an escaped fell-witch masquerading as an agent of the Winnowry and from then on their journey becomes a lot less regular and and lot more interesting!
Lots of fire! Lots of action and the sweetest romantic creation I’ve read in a long time – a minor bit of romance that does not detract from the overwhelming fantasy that is this book.
Jen’s world building skills are akin to no other, her cities are ancient but with a modern flair, her enemies disgustingly brilliant and savagely evil, her heroes full of charm and heart. The writing style sucks you in and doesn’t let you go until long after you’ve hit the end of the book and leaves you wanting more.
There are no words strong enough for me to describe how utterly brilliant The Ninth Rain was – not just the story the name comes from but the overall storyline. The characters, plot, balance between good versus evil and everything in between – outstanding.
A great read with heart and soul and epic beasties. I highly recommend this book.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Justice League (2017) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
The long anticipated “Justice League” has finally arrived finally combining the biggest stars of the DC universe into one film. The proposed film has faced many obstacles on the way to the big screen ranging from script issues, massive reshoots and a change of Director for said reshoots due to a family tragedy that Director Zack Snyder suffered.
The film follows Batman (Ben Affleck) and Wonder Woman (Gal Godot), as they look to assemble a team of other gifted individuals to help fight off a pending invasion.
The death of Superman has left a void on the Earth, and this has paved the way for an ancient evil to return as he attempts to conquer the planet after he collects the three needed artifacts that his plan requires.
In a race against time, Batman and Wonder Woman recruit Aquaman (Jason Momoa), The Flash (Ezra Miller), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher), to battle to save the planet. Naturally they battle amongst themselves as well as their massing enemies but ultimately decide on a dangerous plan that can tip the odds in their favor and save the day.
The action in the film is good but it often plays out like a video game. With so many blatantly obvious CGI backgrounds, the movie looked like a video game. There were numerous scenes that looked like they were lifted from Injustice and Injustice 2 that I mused to myself that someone must have used their Power Up for the shot.
Affleck and Gadot are good and work well with one another, but there are some serious casting issues with the film. The biggest for me was Ezra Miller as The Flash. I did not like his effeminate, nerdy, socially awkward, and neurotic and at times cowardly take on the character. This is not the Barry Allen I grew up reading in comics or the one that has been portrayed twice in a much better fashion on television. His comic relief status grew old fast and his character really offered little to the film.
It has been well-documented that Joss Whedon not only handled the rewrites for the film but took over directing duties to complete the film. You can see elements of his humor scattered throughout and the film does move along at a steady pace without dragging.
The biggest issue is that so many of the characters are just stiff and one-dimensional. They really are not overly interesting so it is hard to really connect with them and the tasks they are facing. Unlike Marvel who have excelled with dysfunctional groups who fight amongst themselves as well as the forces of evil, this group seems to be going through the paces rather than being fully engaged with the task at hand and each other.
In the end “Justice League” is better than I expected, and the two bonus scenes in the credits show some interesting potential down the road. As it is, it is flawed entertainment that requires audiences to overlook a lot of issues.
http://sknr.net/2017/11/15/justice-league/
The film follows Batman (Ben Affleck) and Wonder Woman (Gal Godot), as they look to assemble a team of other gifted individuals to help fight off a pending invasion.
The death of Superman has left a void on the Earth, and this has paved the way for an ancient evil to return as he attempts to conquer the planet after he collects the three needed artifacts that his plan requires.
In a race against time, Batman and Wonder Woman recruit Aquaman (Jason Momoa), The Flash (Ezra Miller), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher), to battle to save the planet. Naturally they battle amongst themselves as well as their massing enemies but ultimately decide on a dangerous plan that can tip the odds in their favor and save the day.
The action in the film is good but it often plays out like a video game. With so many blatantly obvious CGI backgrounds, the movie looked like a video game. There were numerous scenes that looked like they were lifted from Injustice and Injustice 2 that I mused to myself that someone must have used their Power Up for the shot.
Affleck and Gadot are good and work well with one another, but there are some serious casting issues with the film. The biggest for me was Ezra Miller as The Flash. I did not like his effeminate, nerdy, socially awkward, and neurotic and at times cowardly take on the character. This is not the Barry Allen I grew up reading in comics or the one that has been portrayed twice in a much better fashion on television. His comic relief status grew old fast and his character really offered little to the film.
It has been well-documented that Joss Whedon not only handled the rewrites for the film but took over directing duties to complete the film. You can see elements of his humor scattered throughout and the film does move along at a steady pace without dragging.
The biggest issue is that so many of the characters are just stiff and one-dimensional. They really are not overly interesting so it is hard to really connect with them and the tasks they are facing. Unlike Marvel who have excelled with dysfunctional groups who fight amongst themselves as well as the forces of evil, this group seems to be going through the paces rather than being fully engaged with the task at hand and each other.
In the end “Justice League” is better than I expected, and the two bonus scenes in the credits show some interesting potential down the road. As it is, it is flawed entertainment that requires audiences to overlook a lot of issues.
http://sknr.net/2017/11/15/justice-league/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Suicide Squad (2016) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
For years we have seen the Super Hero ensemble film where bands of heroes form up to save the day. But in “Suicide Squad” we get a twist on the theme and the audience actually gets to cheer on the villains for a change.
After the events of “Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice”, Agent Amada Waller (Viola Davis), hatches a plan to use the greatest threats to security as an asset that can be used against unstoppable enemies.
Waller forms a team comprised of the worst of the worst who are incarcerated at a Black Site prison and savors having skilled, deadly, yet highly expendable assets at her disposal should the need arise for their unique talents.
Not long after getting approval for her plan, events are set into motion which requires her dangerous plan to be called into action as a threat of extreme danger emerges and time is off the essence, as such Hitman Deadshot (Will Smith), psychotic Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), and various other sordid members of the team are dispatched under the watchful eye of Agent Flag (Joel Kinnaman), who has orders to detonate an internal explosive on any team member who turns on his team, becomes defiant, or attempts escape from their control.
Though dysfunctional and unstable the team is highly efficient at their task and soon the group is making progress despite overwhelming odds against them. As if the threat facing them was not enough, The Joker (Jared Leto) is determined to get Harley back and will allow nothing to get in his way, no matter how high the body count rises.
What follows is an exciting if at times formulaic action film that mixes in humor, action, and solid characters to create a winning formula.
Writer/Director David Ayers wisely let his stars carry the film and Smith is in vintage form with his mix of one liners and action which is a welcome return to form. Robbie shines as Quinn as her portrayal of the emotional, volatile, and psychotic character is a grand performance. It would have been very easy to make the character one dimensional or too over the top, yet she blends a clever and psychotic tapestry that shows the many layers of this complicated character.
The supporting cast does solid work but special praise needs to be given to Jared Leto for his inspired take on The Joker. Leto plays him with an animalistic and feral manner that plays up the dangerous and highly unstable nature of the character. You never know which way his character will move or what action he will take next, but you know that danger and menace are a constant companion.
The story is a bit by the numbers and the big threat developed rather quickly rather than having any real build up, but for what is essentially an introduction to the characters, the bulk of the attention was spent on the members of the team and their interactions with one another.
In a summer filled with big budget disappointments, “Suicide Squad” is an enjoyable adventure that delivers what it promises and more.
http://sknr.net/2016/08/02/suicide-squad/
After the events of “Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice”, Agent Amada Waller (Viola Davis), hatches a plan to use the greatest threats to security as an asset that can be used against unstoppable enemies.
Waller forms a team comprised of the worst of the worst who are incarcerated at a Black Site prison and savors having skilled, deadly, yet highly expendable assets at her disposal should the need arise for their unique talents.
Not long after getting approval for her plan, events are set into motion which requires her dangerous plan to be called into action as a threat of extreme danger emerges and time is off the essence, as such Hitman Deadshot (Will Smith), psychotic Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), and various other sordid members of the team are dispatched under the watchful eye of Agent Flag (Joel Kinnaman), who has orders to detonate an internal explosive on any team member who turns on his team, becomes defiant, or attempts escape from their control.
Though dysfunctional and unstable the team is highly efficient at their task and soon the group is making progress despite overwhelming odds against them. As if the threat facing them was not enough, The Joker (Jared Leto) is determined to get Harley back and will allow nothing to get in his way, no matter how high the body count rises.
What follows is an exciting if at times formulaic action film that mixes in humor, action, and solid characters to create a winning formula.
Writer/Director David Ayers wisely let his stars carry the film and Smith is in vintage form with his mix of one liners and action which is a welcome return to form. Robbie shines as Quinn as her portrayal of the emotional, volatile, and psychotic character is a grand performance. It would have been very easy to make the character one dimensional or too over the top, yet she blends a clever and psychotic tapestry that shows the many layers of this complicated character.
The supporting cast does solid work but special praise needs to be given to Jared Leto for his inspired take on The Joker. Leto plays him with an animalistic and feral manner that plays up the dangerous and highly unstable nature of the character. You never know which way his character will move or what action he will take next, but you know that danger and menace are a constant companion.
The story is a bit by the numbers and the big threat developed rather quickly rather than having any real build up, but for what is essentially an introduction to the characters, the bulk of the attention was spent on the members of the team and their interactions with one another.
In a summer filled with big budget disappointments, “Suicide Squad” is an enjoyable adventure that delivers what it promises and more.
http://sknr.net/2016/08/02/suicide-squad/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Marvel continues its cinematic dominance with their latest release, “The Avengers: Age of Ultron”. The film once again teams Iron Man (Robert Downey JR.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Window , (Scarlett Johannson), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), as the deal with the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. after the events of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”.
The film opens with a visually amazing action sequence where the heroes raid a Hydra base as they attempt to retrieve Loki’s spear from the evil organization that is bent on world domination.
While researching the spoils of their raid, a pair of enhanced siblings, (Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olson), have managed to exert their influence on one of the team which in turn leads to a bold experiment to create an ultimate guardian of humanity named Ultron who will protect the Earth from all manner of enemies from beyond.
Things do not go as planned s unbeknownst to the Avengers, the artificial A.I. they recovered from Hydra soon builds an army and declares an all-out war on the Avengers and eventually all of humanity.
Tasked with stopping a clever enemy who can switch his conscious to any number of bodies the world over, Ultron (James Spader) leads the team on a deadly game of cat and mouse with the fate of the human race hanging in the balance.
The film is darker and bolder than many of the previous Marvel films but still maintains plenty of humor to lighten the tension. The supporting cast is very good, especially Samuel L. Jackson who steals the scenes whenever he appears.
There were a few sub plots and romantic themes that seemed a bit muddled and some aspects of the story were not fully developed and came to conclusions fairly abruptly, but the film is a shining triumph despite the issues.
The leads work very well with one another though some characters such as Thor were given storylines that really never developed and the same goes for some of the questions left unanswered since the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D.
The visual FX were amazing as seeing it in IMAX 3D really made the action leap off the screen. Director Josh Wheedon paces the film well despite a few instances where things drag along.
The action sequences are the bread and butter of the film and they are frequent and truly spectacular to behold.
Spader does a great job bringing a depth to Ultron which helps him avoid being the stock super villain. He mixes the soul of a poet and scholar with the tantrums of a child which makes him a compelling, captivating, and downright deadly opponent.
The newer characters do well and hopefully we will see them developed more in “Avengers: Infinity War” which is currently in the early stages of development.
For now, Wheedon, Marvel, and the talented cast have created an epic summer action film which is everything you would expect from a super hero movie and more.
http://sknr.net/2015/04/30/avengers-age-of-ultron/
The film opens with a visually amazing action sequence where the heroes raid a Hydra base as they attempt to retrieve Loki’s spear from the evil organization that is bent on world domination.
While researching the spoils of their raid, a pair of enhanced siblings, (Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olson), have managed to exert their influence on one of the team which in turn leads to a bold experiment to create an ultimate guardian of humanity named Ultron who will protect the Earth from all manner of enemies from beyond.
Things do not go as planned s unbeknownst to the Avengers, the artificial A.I. they recovered from Hydra soon builds an army and declares an all-out war on the Avengers and eventually all of humanity.
Tasked with stopping a clever enemy who can switch his conscious to any number of bodies the world over, Ultron (James Spader) leads the team on a deadly game of cat and mouse with the fate of the human race hanging in the balance.
The film is darker and bolder than many of the previous Marvel films but still maintains plenty of humor to lighten the tension. The supporting cast is very good, especially Samuel L. Jackson who steals the scenes whenever he appears.
There were a few sub plots and romantic themes that seemed a bit muddled and some aspects of the story were not fully developed and came to conclusions fairly abruptly, but the film is a shining triumph despite the issues.
The leads work very well with one another though some characters such as Thor were given storylines that really never developed and the same goes for some of the questions left unanswered since the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D.
The visual FX were amazing as seeing it in IMAX 3D really made the action leap off the screen. Director Josh Wheedon paces the film well despite a few instances where things drag along.
The action sequences are the bread and butter of the film and they are frequent and truly spectacular to behold.
Spader does a great job bringing a depth to Ultron which helps him avoid being the stock super villain. He mixes the soul of a poet and scholar with the tantrums of a child which makes him a compelling, captivating, and downright deadly opponent.
The newer characters do well and hopefully we will see them developed more in “Avengers: Infinity War” which is currently in the early stages of development.
For now, Wheedon, Marvel, and the talented cast have created an epic summer action film which is everything you would expect from a super hero movie and more.
http://sknr.net/2015/04/30/avengers-age-of-ultron/
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Half a King (Shattered Sea #1) in Books
Nov 14, 2019
It seems to have been a long wait since Red Country for another book from Lord Grimdark himself, Joe Abercrombie. Not only is this the first book in a new sequence, but it is also labelled as Young Adult. I have to say I had my reservations about that since I wondered how the author of the very grim and very dark First Law books would be able to make a book suitable for young adults... it would be like Quentin Tarantino making a Disney film...
I needn't have worried. It seems all Abercrombie has done is create his usual cast of dark, mysterious, vengeful and misfit characters, set them on a bloody quest during which they can philosophise, complain and make pithy remarks to each other while hacking their enemies into pieces. It seems the only nods to being a 'Young Adult' book is that there is no sex and maybe some of the gore has been turned down a notch. The writing, the plot or the characters don't suffer from this at all.
The plot concerns Yarvi, youngest son of the king in a land where strength and ability in battle is everything. However Yarvi was born with a deformed hand and he is an embarrassment to his father and fated to join the ministry - which normally only women do - to become and adviser to a king rather than a king himself.
However destiny strikes a cruel blow when his father and older brother are both killed. Yarvi is now the king - unprepared as he is and as unpopular as he is with his subjects. He is soon betrayed and sets out on a quest for revenge.
This is pure Abercrombie from start to finish. Yarvi's journey takes him from being a king to being the lowest of the low - if not lower. He might lack the strength or ability to fight but he has wisdom, knowledge, cunning and a thirst for revenge to make up for that. From a lonely and unhappy child he becomes a leader of men - and women - and has to fight for survival across a continent to get home to take his rightful place at the throne.
The book is perhaps a little slow to start - until Yarvi is betrayed - but it is essential that this time is taken to lay the groundwork for what follows. Once it gets going the book races along with barely a stop for breath as events carry the young hero along, sometimes with some control of the situation but often just as much a bystander as the reader. There are characters aplenty - some plain mean and nasty, some friendly and amusing, some mean and nasty and amusing. As would be expected from Abercrombie nobody falls into a neat pigeonhole or trope. When deaths among Yarvi's comrades occur they are touchingly written - but with the senseless random nature of war and death writ large across their last words.
Definitely a great read, hope it will not be so long before the next in the series.
I needn't have worried. It seems all Abercrombie has done is create his usual cast of dark, mysterious, vengeful and misfit characters, set them on a bloody quest during which they can philosophise, complain and make pithy remarks to each other while hacking their enemies into pieces. It seems the only nods to being a 'Young Adult' book is that there is no sex and maybe some of the gore has been turned down a notch. The writing, the plot or the characters don't suffer from this at all.
The plot concerns Yarvi, youngest son of the king in a land where strength and ability in battle is everything. However Yarvi was born with a deformed hand and he is an embarrassment to his father and fated to join the ministry - which normally only women do - to become and adviser to a king rather than a king himself.
However destiny strikes a cruel blow when his father and older brother are both killed. Yarvi is now the king - unprepared as he is and as unpopular as he is with his subjects. He is soon betrayed and sets out on a quest for revenge.
This is pure Abercrombie from start to finish. Yarvi's journey takes him from being a king to being the lowest of the low - if not lower. He might lack the strength or ability to fight but he has wisdom, knowledge, cunning and a thirst for revenge to make up for that. From a lonely and unhappy child he becomes a leader of men - and women - and has to fight for survival across a continent to get home to take his rightful place at the throne.
The book is perhaps a little slow to start - until Yarvi is betrayed - but it is essential that this time is taken to lay the groundwork for what follows. Once it gets going the book races along with barely a stop for breath as events carry the young hero along, sometimes with some control of the situation but often just as much a bystander as the reader. There are characters aplenty - some plain mean and nasty, some friendly and amusing, some mean and nasty and amusing. As would be expected from Abercrombie nobody falls into a neat pigeonhole or trope. When deaths among Yarvi's comrades occur they are touchingly written - but with the senseless random nature of war and death writ large across their last words.
Definitely a great read, hope it will not be so long before the next in the series.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Magicians' Guild (Black Magician Trilogy, #1) in Books
Nov 20, 2019
Trudi Canavan has been on my 'to read' list for a long time (far too long really). I finally found the time to read The Magicians' Guild - book one of the Black Magician trilogy.
The story revolves around Sonea, a girl living amongst the poor and near-poor of Imardin. The city is home to the titular guild, where the greatest magicians in the world learn and teach.
Those showing magical talent only come from the ruling classes. But Sonea has magical talent so the guild need to either break tradition and train her or block her powers as unless she is trained they will unleash themselves and kill her. The problem is that Sonea (along with the rest of the less privileged city dwellers) distrusts and fears the guild.
The book is in two parts - the first involves Sonea hiding from the guild and their attempts to find her. This is quite a clever strategy from a story telling point of view since the world and characters can be gradually introduced. We meet Sonea and her friends, and also the Thieves that control the slums. On the magicians' side we find some are sympathetic towards Sonea while others are outraged at the thought of training a slum girl - some for more personal reasons than others.
The second half involves Sonea's initial training at the guild. I do try not to give away major plot direction in these reviews, but I don't think it's much of a spoiler that she does end up in the guild, given the name of the book. In this part we find out more about magic and the guild, plus the plot that forms the core of this book moves forward and is resolved in a satisfactory - and dramatic - style.
Canavan's writing is focused firmly on character, although the world around them is fully realised, with the slums suitably dingy and grubby and the guild grand and opulent. The characters are allowed to develop through the pages. I found the start a little slow going, but I think that was mostly because the previous book I read was for more action based. There is also very little dramatic tension about Sonea ending up in the guild, but I don't think that is the purpose of the first half of the book anyway.
This story is clearly there to set up the characters for the trilogy as a whole - and as the plot progresses Sonea discovers some things that are clearly going to be important in her future. The way the ending is left is therefore very finely balanced between the resolution of the main plot and leaving the threads for the next book, and Canavan is spot on in delivering this.
Overall I really liked this book and will read the other installments as time allows without hesitation. If you are looking for some brutal anti-hero cutting a swathe of destruction through his enemies this is not the book for you. If you want some careful characterisation and a personality driven and human-scale plot, pick up this book. It is also refreshing to have a female main protagonist in the traditionally macho world of fantasy. Recommended.
The story revolves around Sonea, a girl living amongst the poor and near-poor of Imardin. The city is home to the titular guild, where the greatest magicians in the world learn and teach.
Those showing magical talent only come from the ruling classes. But Sonea has magical talent so the guild need to either break tradition and train her or block her powers as unless she is trained they will unleash themselves and kill her. The problem is that Sonea (along with the rest of the less privileged city dwellers) distrusts and fears the guild.
The book is in two parts - the first involves Sonea hiding from the guild and their attempts to find her. This is quite a clever strategy from a story telling point of view since the world and characters can be gradually introduced. We meet Sonea and her friends, and also the Thieves that control the slums. On the magicians' side we find some are sympathetic towards Sonea while others are outraged at the thought of training a slum girl - some for more personal reasons than others.
The second half involves Sonea's initial training at the guild. I do try not to give away major plot direction in these reviews, but I don't think it's much of a spoiler that she does end up in the guild, given the name of the book. In this part we find out more about magic and the guild, plus the plot that forms the core of this book moves forward and is resolved in a satisfactory - and dramatic - style.
Canavan's writing is focused firmly on character, although the world around them is fully realised, with the slums suitably dingy and grubby and the guild grand and opulent. The characters are allowed to develop through the pages. I found the start a little slow going, but I think that was mostly because the previous book I read was for more action based. There is also very little dramatic tension about Sonea ending up in the guild, but I don't think that is the purpose of the first half of the book anyway.
This story is clearly there to set up the characters for the trilogy as a whole - and as the plot progresses Sonea discovers some things that are clearly going to be important in her future. The way the ending is left is therefore very finely balanced between the resolution of the main plot and leaving the threads for the next book, and Canavan is spot on in delivering this.
Overall I really liked this book and will read the other installments as time allows without hesitation. If you are looking for some brutal anti-hero cutting a swathe of destruction through his enemies this is not the book for you. If you want some careful characterisation and a personality driven and human-scale plot, pick up this book. It is also refreshing to have a female main protagonist in the traditionally macho world of fantasy. Recommended.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Aeon's End in Tabletop Games
Feb 22, 2021
Excellent Deck Builder
Aeons End- is a excellent deck builder game that has a intresting twist. Lets talk more about it.
Aeon’s End is a cooperative deck building game in which you and your teammates are attempting to take down a member of The Nameless before it is able to destroy your home city of Gravehold. You do this by adding powerful spells, gems, and relics to your decks and strategically using them in a way that helps you defeat the enemies that come your way.
At the beginning of each game of Aeon’s End, you’ll set up your characters’ unique decks, put together a nemesis deck for the boss monster, and create a supply of cards that players can buy throughout the game. After all of that’s done, you’re ready to play!
Turn order is determined by the turn order deck. At the start of the game and after every turn, you’ll draw a card from this deck to see whose turn it is (the nemesis or a player).
On each turn, you can do one or more of the following actions in any order:
buy a card
play a card
charge up your special ability
focus or open a breach
prep a spell
react to a keyword on a nemesis card.
Aether is the currency in the game. You’ll use it to pay for new cards (spells, relics, and gems), to focus/open breaches, and to gain charges. You’ll start out with some basic cards that give you one aether apiece, but some of the cards you buy from the supply will give you more.
You cast spells in a unique way in this game. Open breaches allow you to prep a spell without paying a cost, while closed breaches need to be focused or opened in order to use them. When you focus a breach, you simply turn it clockwise and pay the “focus” cost written on the card. The spells you prepped can be cast on your next turn; prepped spells in closed breaches must be cast, while those in open breaches don’t have to be if you want to wait until a future turn.
Another unique aspect of this game is the way deck building works. Your deck is never shuffled, so you have to think about the order in which you put cards in your discard pile. When you cast spells or buy cards from the supply, those cards will go directly into your discard pile. When you use gems or relics, you’ll wait until the end of your turn and put them on top of your discard pile in any order. When your draw deck is empty, you simply flip your discard pile to create your new draw deck.
The main way to beat the nemesis is to take its life total down to zero, but you can also win if the nemesis’ deck runs out and there are no nemesis cards in play. You’ll lose if Gravehold is destroyed or if every player is exhausted (i.e. at zero life).
Its a excellent deck builder game. I highly recordmend playing it and owning it.
Aeon’s End is a cooperative deck building game in which you and your teammates are attempting to take down a member of The Nameless before it is able to destroy your home city of Gravehold. You do this by adding powerful spells, gems, and relics to your decks and strategically using them in a way that helps you defeat the enemies that come your way.
At the beginning of each game of Aeon’s End, you’ll set up your characters’ unique decks, put together a nemesis deck for the boss monster, and create a supply of cards that players can buy throughout the game. After all of that’s done, you’re ready to play!
Turn order is determined by the turn order deck. At the start of the game and after every turn, you’ll draw a card from this deck to see whose turn it is (the nemesis or a player).
On each turn, you can do one or more of the following actions in any order:
buy a card
play a card
charge up your special ability
focus or open a breach
prep a spell
react to a keyword on a nemesis card.
Aether is the currency in the game. You’ll use it to pay for new cards (spells, relics, and gems), to focus/open breaches, and to gain charges. You’ll start out with some basic cards that give you one aether apiece, but some of the cards you buy from the supply will give you more.
You cast spells in a unique way in this game. Open breaches allow you to prep a spell without paying a cost, while closed breaches need to be focused or opened in order to use them. When you focus a breach, you simply turn it clockwise and pay the “focus” cost written on the card. The spells you prepped can be cast on your next turn; prepped spells in closed breaches must be cast, while those in open breaches don’t have to be if you want to wait until a future turn.
Another unique aspect of this game is the way deck building works. Your deck is never shuffled, so you have to think about the order in which you put cards in your discard pile. When you cast spells or buy cards from the supply, those cards will go directly into your discard pile. When you use gems or relics, you’ll wait until the end of your turn and put them on top of your discard pile in any order. When your draw deck is empty, you simply flip your discard pile to create your new draw deck.
The main way to beat the nemesis is to take its life total down to zero, but you can also win if the nemesis’ deck runs out and there are no nemesis cards in play. You’ll lose if Gravehold is destroyed or if every player is exhausted (i.e. at zero life).
Its a excellent deck builder game. I highly recordmend playing it and owning it.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PC version of Chivalry 2 in Video Games
Jun 13, 2021
Gamers looking for some blood-soaked fun in a Hack and Slash game will be thrilled with the release of Chivalry 2. The game allows up to 64 players to battle in a series of battles to create as much carnage as possible.
After an optional tutorial that goes over everything from lunging, blocking, throwing, and special moves and abilities; players will select from various classes and wade into battle. There are the Archers who attack from the distance and have a blade for up close and personal attacks. While they do not have the armor or impact of a Knight; they can do damage with a well-placed shot and when they upgrade their Bow or earn a Crossbow; can be deadly.
There are also the Knight, Vanguard, and Footman classes who can use weapons ranging from swords, axes, and pikes to take down the enemy. Weapons can be thrown in some instances and players can gain times power-ups to use things such as flaming pots or enhancements that can turn the tide of a battle.
Missions are in stages as players usually have to push a cart, storm a fortress, steal an item, destroy an item, etc. in order to advance to the next stage. Victory or failure is determined by completing or stopping a task within the given timeframe.
Should a player fall in battle which is a frequent hazard; they will have the option to change classes or continue with their current one and return to the battle after an amount of time has passed.
Maps offer players weapons at times from Catapults, Ballistas, Fire, and other weapons ranging from tools to even fish to help turn the tide of battle.
The game has some Gallows humor in it as the blood liberally flows all over characters and the ground as it is not uncommon to see multiple players on a team hacking away on a player.
While the graphics may be a bit dated for gamers; being able to improve your characters and their weapons as you advance in rank and skill is key as aside from an overall rank, each class has its own skill levels so players will have to work their way up in a class to advance rather than succeed in a class they are stronger in to build up one that they are weaker in.
There is a nice mix of maps, missions, and weapons and while some may wish for a bit more variety; I am sure that additional content and features will be coming down the line.
While the game can be frustrating at times as getting killed is a frequent event; as your skills grow and you find new ways to eliminate enemies and creative ways to hone your skills; the game becomes an ideal diversion.
The sound in the game is great as the clash of metal combined with screams and other ambient noises gives the game fun and immersive quality.
While it is not going to be for everyone; Chivalry 2 won me over with its fun and immersive gameplay and irreverent humor.
4 stars out of 5
After an optional tutorial that goes over everything from lunging, blocking, throwing, and special moves and abilities; players will select from various classes and wade into battle. There are the Archers who attack from the distance and have a blade for up close and personal attacks. While they do not have the armor or impact of a Knight; they can do damage with a well-placed shot and when they upgrade their Bow or earn a Crossbow; can be deadly.
There are also the Knight, Vanguard, and Footman classes who can use weapons ranging from swords, axes, and pikes to take down the enemy. Weapons can be thrown in some instances and players can gain times power-ups to use things such as flaming pots or enhancements that can turn the tide of a battle.
Missions are in stages as players usually have to push a cart, storm a fortress, steal an item, destroy an item, etc. in order to advance to the next stage. Victory or failure is determined by completing or stopping a task within the given timeframe.
Should a player fall in battle which is a frequent hazard; they will have the option to change classes or continue with their current one and return to the battle after an amount of time has passed.
Maps offer players weapons at times from Catapults, Ballistas, Fire, and other weapons ranging from tools to even fish to help turn the tide of battle.
The game has some Gallows humor in it as the blood liberally flows all over characters and the ground as it is not uncommon to see multiple players on a team hacking away on a player.
While the graphics may be a bit dated for gamers; being able to improve your characters and their weapons as you advance in rank and skill is key as aside from an overall rank, each class has its own skill levels so players will have to work their way up in a class to advance rather than succeed in a class they are stronger in to build up one that they are weaker in.
There is a nice mix of maps, missions, and weapons and while some may wish for a bit more variety; I am sure that additional content and features will be coming down the line.
While the game can be frustrating at times as getting killed is a frequent event; as your skills grow and you find new ways to eliminate enemies and creative ways to hone your skills; the game becomes an ideal diversion.
The sound in the game is great as the clash of metal combined with screams and other ambient noises gives the game fun and immersive quality.
While it is not going to be for everyone; Chivalry 2 won me over with its fun and immersive gameplay and irreverent humor.
4 stars out of 5
Virtual Town
Games and Entertainment
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***NOTE: Some older devices will not be able to play Virtual Town well right now. That includes:...