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Mortal Engines (2018)
Mortal Engines (2018)
2018 | Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Pretty good, but with a few issues
I've been wanting to see this since the first trailer was released, and I'm pleased to say it's actually quite good.

The visuals and CGI are very good, the traction cities and towns look fantastic and they're impressively done. Shouldn't be a surprise considering these have been done by Weta. The plot itself is intriguing and fairly unique as far as apocalyptic futures go, although there are a few plot points that are a bit cliched and reminiscent of other sci-fi/fantasy films - the whole final act/ending being the main example.

Hester Shaw is a very strong heroine and a good lead character, although i think she suffers from some bad scripting. Hugo Weaving is doing his Agent Smith best as the villainous Thaddeus Valentine, he really does know how to play a good bad guy. I'm most impressed however with Robert Sheehan. He's a very underrated actor yet seems to have such range and versatility, from his start in the series Misfits to the creepy Vladek in Fortitude, and then his turn as the dashing hero in this, he really made this film worth watching even if the script wasn't always in his favour. The romance aspect of this film too is also a little too forced and not very subtle, and a little bit predictable.

In short this is an interesting story with a great cast and special effects, that is let down by a patchy script and a few cliches. The next book I have to read is this one, so I'm interested to see how the two compare.
  
    Star Girl: Princess Gala

    Star Girl: Princess Gala

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    Become the fairy tale princess you've always dreamed of! Live the whimsical life of royalty and...

I'll start by saying I LOVE THIS SERIES! Darynda Jones has written such an amazing likeable but slightly dumb, sometimes genius character in Charley Davidson. You can't help but like her.

This starts with Charley sitting in a psychiatrist's office as she equally does a job and confesses everything that she's learned about herself over the last ten books to the doctor in the chair. Turns out the shrink is dead and haunting the office. There is one big case that Charley is working on in this and it's the couple who kidnapped Reyes when he was a baby. There's a few other smaller things thrown in and we see Charley learn how to be who she was born to be with a little help from Reyes.

As I've already mentioned, I love this series. It is right up my street with it's snark, humour and romance. Characters that we've grown to love over the last ten books make reappearances, some new characters pop up and some that have been mentioned peripherally make themselves known. It's hard to give too many details without spoiling it for those who haven't got this far in the series.

If you've not at least started this series, then I can't recommend it enough, really. That is, if you like urban fantasy/paranormal romances. Or demons. Gods...

I have book 12 in paperback, too, and haven't decided whether to read it straight away yet - despite that bit of a cliff hanger that happened at the end! - as I feel I would immediately want to read book 13 to finish the series and I don't have it yet. It's on my to-buy list.
  
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Morgan Sheppard (936 KP) created a post

Sep 21, 2022 (Updated Sep 21, 2022)  
And it's LIVE! Happy Release Day to me.

The ebook is available now in the #KU program. Apologies if you are waiting for the paperback and hardcover versions. Amazon are taking their time with those.

A kingdom in mourning… Six Princes turned dark in their grief… One maiden holds hope to save them.

Selene, the Swan Herder for the kingdom of Melthkior, once filled her days in the company of the Royal Family. She grew up as a companion for the Princes of the kingdom, and they enjoyed close friendships. But when the Queen died during the birth of her sixth son, everything changed. The King fell into mourning, and the Princes turned dark and cruel in their grief.

Now, as a maiden, Selene must endure the brutal mockery and abuse from those she once called friends. Her only allies are her beautiful swans and those on the kitchen staff who love her. Until the mysterious Conway appears and seems determined to be a part of her life.

Conway is fascinated by the girl with the silver hair and dismayed by how she is treated. He welcomes her into his heart, and Selene slowly begins to trust what she feels is real.

Can Conway show her a different way of life, or will she stay stuck in a cycle of suffering? And when the Gods become involved, a curse strikes the six Princes of Melthkior. Will Selene choose to help them, or leave them to their fate?

#FairytaleRetelling
#BrothersGrimm
#WelshGods
#Fantasy
#Romance
 
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60580281-sealed-with-a-curse
Smashbomb Link: https://smashbomb.com/s/sealed-with-a-curse
Universal Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/SealedwithaCurse
     
The Vine Witch
The Vine Witch
Luanne G.Smith | 2019 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
27 of 235
Kindle
The Vine Witch ( book 1)
By Luanne G.Smith
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A young witch emerges from a curse to find her world upended in this gripping fantasy set in turn-of-the-century France.

For centuries, the vineyards at Château Renard have depended on the talent of their vine witches, whose spells help create the world-renowned wine of the Chanceaux Valley. Then the skill of divining harvests fell into ruin when sorcière Elena Boureanu was blindsided by a curse. Now, after breaking the spell that confined her to the shallows of a marshland and weakened her magic, Elena is struggling to return to her former life. And the vineyard she was destined to inherit is now in the possession of a handsome stranger.

Vigneron Jean-Paul Martel naively favors science over superstition, and he certainly doesn’t endorse the locals’ belief in witches. But Elena knows a hex when she sees one, and the vineyard is covered in them. To stay on and help the vines recover, she’ll have to hide her true identity, along with her plans for revenge against whoever stole seven winters of her life. And she won’t rest until she can defy the evil powers that are still a threat to herself, Jean-Paul, and the ancient vine-witch legacy in the rolling hills of the Chanceaux Valley.

I really liked it! The style was a little different compared to what I normally read and I love that she starts off as a frog. It moved quickly and was a really good story.
The characters were fun to get to know and it had a lovely romance blooming.