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Merissa (12897 KP) rated The Ballad of Aramei (The Darkwoods Trilogy #3) in Books

Mar 31, 2023 (Updated Apr 10, 2023)  
The Ballad of Aramei (The Darkwoods Trilogy #3)
The Ballad of Aramei (The Darkwoods Trilogy #3)
J.A. Redmerski | 2019 | Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Exhausting; Exhilarating; Shocking; Satisfying; Breathtaking; Epic - just some of the words I would use to describe this book and the series as a whole.

In this book you sort of get two stories overlapping, one concluding and then one starting - both of which will pull you in and keep you reading. I loved how this book rounded things off and tied them all together. There are still twists and turns aplenty so you will definitely not be bored. And one thing that I will say about the ending is that are little "mini" epilogues for the main characters which somehow just seem to fit better than one big one.

I won't write about the storyline as that has already been covered by others. What I will say is that the whole series is one of the best that I have read in a long time - 3 books in 3 days! This series is definitely a keeper and although I have read the Kindle versions, I will be buying the "real" books too! There is a new series coming out this year called The Darksouls Trilogy which I'm hoping will have a couple of familiar faces in there somewhere.

ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!
 
* Verified Purchase ~ April 2013 *
 
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
August 14, 2016
  
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Dean (6927 KP) rated Elvis (2022) in Movies

Jul 6, 2022  
Elvis (2022)
Elvis (2022)
2022 | Biography, Drama, Musical
6
7.8 (8 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Great songs (1 more)
Austin Butler
Feels even longer than 2.5hrs (1 more)
Not a detailed bio epic
We can't go on together...
Saw the trailer and the style and vibe of the film interested me, not knowing a great deal about Elvis I thought it would be interesting to know more.
It's great to find out more about him, how he started out and his inspiration. Still not sure how accurate some details are and some sections of his life are barely covered. So maybe not the full story you might expect, despite the 2.5hrs run time. Some how it felt even longer.
It does feel a little disjointed at times switching between Elvis story and also that of his manager Col Tom Parker. The songs are great and Austin Butler gives a great performance. The first half of the film about his rise was intriguing the second half towards the end of his career was a lot slower.
So it's very stylish and interesting, although big fans of Elvis might be a little disappointed on how much of Elvis it a actually covers. Also how accurate it is as well. For others it was a good incite if maybe not as detailed as you might expect.
  
The Northman (2022)
The Northman (2022)
2022 | History, Thriller
10
7.9 (11 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Robert Eggers continues his winning streak with The Northman, surely one of the most visually stunning and compelling movies in recent years. A Viking revenge story presented in his signature style is just cinematic crack waiting to happen as far as I'm concerned.
The first third is a fast moving setup that effectively establishes the characters and shows off quite an epic production. After that, The Northman becomes a tight and slow burning thriller as Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård) exacts a psychologically torturous revenge on the people who killer his father. It's a perfect marriage of powerful character drama, weird imagery, Viking culture and beliefs, bizarre gore, and fantasy set pieces, and it's slower pace ensures that it's utterly captivating.
The whole film looks incredible from start to finish and is complimented by a wonderful music score.
It's all cemented by a stacked cast. Skarsgård is a capable lead for sure, and is just a big walking muscle in this, the manly bastard. Anya Taylor-Joy is great as always, and the supporting cast boasts the likes of Nicole Kidman, Willem Dafoe, Ethan Hawke, and Claes Bang who are all stellar.

I can't heap enough praise on The Northman, another homerun from Eggers. I'd happily call it a masterpiece.