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MARVEL Future Fight

Games

8.0 (2 Ratings) Rate It

App

An epic blockbuster action-RPG featuring Super Heroes and Villains from the Marvel Universe! The...

A Game of Thrones the Board Game (2nd Edition)

8.0 (6 Ratings) Rate It

Tabletop Game

King Robert Baratheon is dead, and the lands of Westeros brace for battle. In A Game of Thrones:...

Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Epic Crush of Genie Lo (The Epic Crush of Genie Lo #1) in Books

Jan 23, 2020

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Epic Crush of Genie Lo comes out next week! I repeat, NEXT WEEK! F. C. Yee’s debut novel might be my favorite book of this year, taking a spot right next to I Believe In a Thing Called Love and When Dimple Met Rishi.
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Here's why you, as a fabulous bookworm, need to check out Yee’s debut novel when it hits shelves next week (and if you can't afford it, request away at the library!):</h4>
Chinese Mythology - As someone who is Chinese, I am ALWAYS on the lookout for Chinese representation in the books I read. The Epic Crush of Genie Lo focuses on a particular story, but those who are unfamiliar with Chinese Mythology will find the explanations included not overbearing.

Hilarious - Genie Lo is hilarious, and I swear 80% of my reading notes contain laughing emojis. There is never a dull moment in this book - every scene has a line that will have you laughing out loud, or trying hard not to laugh in public (I get embarrassed).

Breaking Stereotypes - I am SO glad there is a book out there breaking stereotypes. Genie Lo is tall and angry, something not typically associated with Asians. We're not all small and docile - we have claws, too!

Just A Little Bit of Romance - I am not a romantic person, but I loved the developing relationship between Genie and transfer student Quentin. It's not taking over the overall plot and action, and their interactions are entertaining to read as well.

Relatable - I'm not saying Genie Lo is relatable because she's Chinese like me. She's relatable to all of us - the ones who have gone through or will go through the struggles of junior/senior year of college: choosing the right college, writing the best essay possible, striving for good grades and scores, etc. There aren't many books in the YA category that deals with characters fighting demons while they're stressing over schoolwork and everything else at the same time.

With action and fantasy set in the modern world and comedic lines, The Epic Crush of Genie Lo deserves all the hype it has been getting the book community and so much more.

<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/the-epic-crush-of-genie-lo-by-fc-yee/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>

Kudos

BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Napoleon (2023) in Movies

Dec 6, 2023

Napoleon (2023)

2023 | History

7.3

(6 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Whole Does Not Equal The Sum of it's Parts

The new Epic Motion Picture NAPOLEON is the perfect example of the term “the whole does not equal the sum of the parts”. There are some very, very good items in this film, they just don’t combine to make a Motion Picture above the average.

Directed by Ridley Scott (GLADIATOR), NAPOLEON tells the tale of the titular Frenchman who rises to great power only to fall to great defeat. It is a story ripe for a fascinating film, this just isn’t that film.

There are many, many things that work in this movie, like the performance of Oscar Winner Joaquin Phoenix (THE JOKER) as Napoleon. He plays him as an enigmatic figure who is over-compensating for a lack of…something. Bravery? Self-Confidence? Height? That’s the problem, the film never delves into it, it just gives us a quirky character - strongly played by Phoenix - who is, obviously, using his power and skills as a General to cover up a flaw…whatever that is.

Vanessa Kirby (Oscar Nominated for PIECES OF A WOMAN a few years back) is equally strong and enigmatic as Napoleon’s Empress, Josephine. Kirby’s performance is, probably, the strongest in the film as she plays Josephine as strong and independent, living by her own rules and knowing that she has the powerful Napoleon at her beck-and-call. But, again, we never really find out the person behind the facade and her scenes with Phoenix/Napoleon fall flat for there never is any really love or passion between the 2 of them, just a “baby boy” fawning all over Josephine and a manipulative (we think) social climber using this “baby boy”.

4x Oscar Nominee (but never a winner) Ridley Scott (GLADIATOR) knows how to produce an EPIC and he puts together some EPIC Battle Scenes and Napoleon’s Emperor Inauguration scene is one to behold (which is why you should see this film on the largest screen possible) but these scenes seem isolated and separated from the rest of the film.

And, there, is where the problem of the film is. We have an interesting performance by Phoenix, a strong performance by Kirby and EPIC scenes from Scott, but they all seem isolated and in their own film and never quite gel together to build any emotional connection. All seem cold, flat and calculated. There is none of the passion that Napoleon says he has for France.

Go to marvel at the craft of the film, leave feeling unfulfilled, emotionally by NAPOLEON.

Letter Grade: B-

6 Stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)

Kudos

Merissa (12445 KP) rated A Wizard's Forge (The Woern Saga, #1) in Books

Dec 17, 2018

Some books are called epic simply for the sheer volume that they have. This book is epic... with volume as an added extra. This story is staggering in its magnitude. It incorporates Sci-Fi with Fantasy but also includes a lot of action. The characters are all well-developed and I really felt for Vic as she tried to work through what had happened to her. Vic is full of flaws but that just makes her more real.

As you can see from the title, this is Book 1. The story is wrapped up pretty well at the end of this book and will leave you wanting to read more.

The only thing I will say is that I skipped over the majority of the place names as they simply became too long and tongue-twisterish - Olmlablaire being one of the easiest ones. They are either very easy like Re and Latha or more complicated.

Definitely recommended for all Fantasy fans, especially those who like a bigger book to really get their teeth into. And at this price, you'll be getting a lot of book for your bucks!

This review is for the revised edition of Blade of Amber, now called A Wizard's Forge.

* I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!