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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Heart of the Flame ( Dragon Chalice 2) in Books
Mar 21, 2024
52 of 220
Kindle
Heart of the Flame ( Dragon Chalice 2)
By Lara Adrian
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Six months in an enemy's dungeon might have broken a weaker man, but the former Templar knight Kenrick of Clairmont has emerged from imprisonment with an unyielding determination, consumed by a single, daunting quest: to find the Dragon Chalice, a mystical treasure said to grant its bearer unlimited power. It is a dangerous chase, one that pits Kenrick against foes skilled in dark, deadly arts. But no obstacle will prove more treacherous-nor more seductively lethal-than the fiery beauty called Haven.
Caught up in the battle for the Chalice, Haven survives a night of terror that leaves her wounded and near death. Her memory scorched by fever, Haven awakens to find herself in the care of the forbidding, handsome Kenrick, who offers his protection in return for her alliance. A tenuous trust is formed between the two, which soon ignites into a fierce passion neither can deny. But Haven's memory of her past is slowly beginning to surface, and it will threaten the fragile bond she and Henrick share-and embroil them in a fight for their very lives. . .
I like this series it’s historical romance mixed with a hint of magic. This was a quick good read. I do like this author her books are so easy and pleasant to read.
Kindle
Heart of the Flame ( Dragon Chalice 2)
By Lara Adrian
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Six months in an enemy's dungeon might have broken a weaker man, but the former Templar knight Kenrick of Clairmont has emerged from imprisonment with an unyielding determination, consumed by a single, daunting quest: to find the Dragon Chalice, a mystical treasure said to grant its bearer unlimited power. It is a dangerous chase, one that pits Kenrick against foes skilled in dark, deadly arts. But no obstacle will prove more treacherous-nor more seductively lethal-than the fiery beauty called Haven.
Caught up in the battle for the Chalice, Haven survives a night of terror that leaves her wounded and near death. Her memory scorched by fever, Haven awakens to find herself in the care of the forbidding, handsome Kenrick, who offers his protection in return for her alliance. A tenuous trust is formed between the two, which soon ignites into a fierce passion neither can deny. But Haven's memory of her past is slowly beginning to surface, and it will threaten the fragile bond she and Henrick share-and embroil them in a fight for their very lives. . .
I like this series it’s historical romance mixed with a hint of magic. This was a quick good read. I do like this author her books are so easy and pleasant to read.
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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated The Void (2016) in Movies
Aug 10, 2020
I watched The Void with absolutely no prior knowledge of what it was, and what it is, is certainly...something.
The Void felt to me like a series of homages to other horror classics. The overall plot seems like an obvious nod to Prince of Darkness. The creature designs are reminiscent of The Thing, albeit with a sprinkling of Guillermo Del Toro. The climax reminded me sometimes of Hellraiser. One of the villains gave me Re-Animator vibes. All the while, there's a distinct Lovecraftian undercurrent from start to finish.
All of this is a good thing though. The Void never feels like it's ripping off any of these movies, but rather wearing it's heart on it's sleeve.
As mentioned above, the creature designs reminded me of The Thing. This is further bolstered by their nightmarish aesthetic, and the fantastic use of practical effects. In fact, there's very minimal use of CGI at all, something you don't see too often these days.
My only criticisms are aimed at the plot. It's starts off well enough, and evokes a feeling of tension and uncertainty, well realised by a decent cast. Before long however, it's clear that a lot is left open to audience interpretation. The fever dream approach to the filming style leaves you questioning what is real and what's not, a plot technique that I'm usually all for, although The Void is a film that I feel could have benefited from a little more explanation and resolve.
Overall though, it's a gory, entertaining horror creature-feature, that I would recommend watching, even if it's just the once.
The Void felt to me like a series of homages to other horror classics. The overall plot seems like an obvious nod to Prince of Darkness. The creature designs are reminiscent of The Thing, albeit with a sprinkling of Guillermo Del Toro. The climax reminded me sometimes of Hellraiser. One of the villains gave me Re-Animator vibes. All the while, there's a distinct Lovecraftian undercurrent from start to finish.
All of this is a good thing though. The Void never feels like it's ripping off any of these movies, but rather wearing it's heart on it's sleeve.
As mentioned above, the creature designs reminded me of The Thing. This is further bolstered by their nightmarish aesthetic, and the fantastic use of practical effects. In fact, there's very minimal use of CGI at all, something you don't see too often these days.
My only criticisms are aimed at the plot. It's starts off well enough, and evokes a feeling of tension and uncertainty, well realised by a decent cast. Before long however, it's clear that a lot is left open to audience interpretation. The fever dream approach to the filming style leaves you questioning what is real and what's not, a plot technique that I'm usually all for, although The Void is a film that I feel could have benefited from a little more explanation and resolve.
Overall though, it's a gory, entertaining horror creature-feature, that I would recommend watching, even if it's just the once.
Jamie (131 KP) rated Uzumaki (3-in-1, Deluxe Edition): Includes Vols. 1, 2 & 3: Vols. 1, 2 & 3 in Books
Jun 4, 2017
Nightmare fuel in it’s purest form
Spirals exist everywhere in nature: in the shells of snails, the petals of a flower, the swirling clouds of a hurricane, even the shape of whole galaxies. Why this shape continues to show up over and over again in nature is still a bit of a mystery. For the most part spirals are viewed as aesthetically pleasing, appealing to humanity throughout the centuries.
What makes Uzumaki so brilliant is that it takes something so abstract and transforms it into pure nightmare fuel, utterly corrupting one of nature's most beautiful shapes: the spiral. When I had first started reading this comic I was skeptical, how could a geometic shape be scary? There is nothing inherently sinister about a shape, just as there is nothing all that unusual about the town.
Uzumaki challenged my perception of horror in it’s twisting narrative, starting slow as the madness began to spread, spiraling out like a flower in bloom. As the story reached a fever pitch, it quickly descends, like a whirlpool sucking everything underneath it’s surface. Pure genius.
The art is also a wonder in itself, with extremely detailed drawings depicting some of the best examples of body horror that I’ve ever seen. While this is of course up for debate, many fans and critics have chosen Uzumaki as Ito’s magnum opus, and after reading a couple of his other comics I would have to agree. Uzumaki is one of the best works of horror I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. I highly recommend this for any fan of horror, but especially for fans of the works of H.P. Lovecraft, whose books greatly influenced Ito in his creation of the series.
What makes Uzumaki so brilliant is that it takes something so abstract and transforms it into pure nightmare fuel, utterly corrupting one of nature's most beautiful shapes: the spiral. When I had first started reading this comic I was skeptical, how could a geometic shape be scary? There is nothing inherently sinister about a shape, just as there is nothing all that unusual about the town.
Uzumaki challenged my perception of horror in it’s twisting narrative, starting slow as the madness began to spread, spiraling out like a flower in bloom. As the story reached a fever pitch, it quickly descends, like a whirlpool sucking everything underneath it’s surface. Pure genius.
The art is also a wonder in itself, with extremely detailed drawings depicting some of the best examples of body horror that I’ve ever seen. While this is of course up for debate, many fans and critics have chosen Uzumaki as Ito’s magnum opus, and after reading a couple of his other comics I would have to agree. Uzumaki is one of the best works of horror I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. I highly recommend this for any fan of horror, but especially for fans of the works of H.P. Lovecraft, whose books greatly influenced Ito in his creation of the series.
Andy K (10821 KP) rated Back to the Future Part II (1989) in Movies
Apr 14, 2019
Continues the story very well
Not many sequels not only continue right where the first film ended, but at such a fever pitch. Seems like from the moment this film starts with Doc, Marty and Jennifer going to see "their kids" in 2015, the story never really stops.
It's funny now to look at the film since we are already well past the "future" time of what filmmakers got correct (Cubs winning the World Series against "Miami" and video chatting) and what they had incorrect (flying cars, fax machines, Hover Boards). They still has mailboxes on the city streets!
Since parts 2 and 3 were filmed back to back (one of the first times this was done) the screenplay does a ton of foreshadowing of what is to come which is really cool. When Doc talks about trying to conquer "women" or how he would like to visit the Old West.
As with most time travel films, if you start to think about some of the nuances or small details too much some of them don't really jive, but this is a small detail.
I love how the last third of the film really weaves in between the events of the original Back to the Future film trying hard not to change any of those events to keep the narrative and "timeline" going as best as possible.
I remember sitting there when it ended really mad I had to wait until May of 1990 (6 whole months later) to find out what happened to Marty and Doc. Not quite as bad as having to wait 3 years to find out what happened to Han Solo after he was frozen in Carbonite, but that's another story.
It's funny now to look at the film since we are already well past the "future" time of what filmmakers got correct (Cubs winning the World Series against "Miami" and video chatting) and what they had incorrect (flying cars, fax machines, Hover Boards). They still has mailboxes on the city streets!
Since parts 2 and 3 were filmed back to back (one of the first times this was done) the screenplay does a ton of foreshadowing of what is to come which is really cool. When Doc talks about trying to conquer "women" or how he would like to visit the Old West.
As with most time travel films, if you start to think about some of the nuances or small details too much some of them don't really jive, but this is a small detail.
I love how the last third of the film really weaves in between the events of the original Back to the Future film trying hard not to change any of those events to keep the narrative and "timeline" going as best as possible.
I remember sitting there when it ended really mad I had to wait until May of 1990 (6 whole months later) to find out what happened to Marty and Doc. Not quite as bad as having to wait 3 years to find out what happened to Han Solo after he was frozen in Carbonite, but that's another story.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Duncan in Books
May 22, 2019
A cunning pederastic serial killer nicknamed Santa is making his way up the East Coast from New Orleans to Boston, leaving a trail of young bodies in his wake. Santa covers his tracks along the way by working as an itinerant bass player in a series of jazz combos. At the same time, the Driscoll family Mark, Julie and their nine-year-old son Nate who live in an upstate suburb of Syracuse, New York, struggle to come to grips with Moms quadriplegia following a horrific auto accident. The suspense builds to a fever pitch as these two plot strands approach each other for the inevitable confrontation. All this tension is heightened by the mystery of Duncan, Nates stuffed-toy gorilla, who is not only the boys beloved companion but becomes a kind of family totem, and, later on in the story, so much more.
Trigger warning for pedophilia, disability, murder, and so forth
This is a novel not only for readers addicted to thrill rides and maddening suspense, but also those who are curious about the abnormal psychology of the pedophiliac killer. The book gives food for thought as well as a kind of perverse satisfaction for the imagination and senses. It is a thinking readers thriller.
There are some graphic scenes that would make any normal human uncomfortable to say the least.
I loved how Mr. McCort portrays the heart-warming relationship dynamics within the Driscoll family. Oh I did love Duncan too!
The book also delivers on its' promise to the insight of the killers mind as well (the diabolical Santa).
Disturbing but excellent read.
Recommend reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Trigger warning for pedophilia, disability, murder, and so forth
This is a novel not only for readers addicted to thrill rides and maddening suspense, but also those who are curious about the abnormal psychology of the pedophiliac killer. The book gives food for thought as well as a kind of perverse satisfaction for the imagination and senses. It is a thinking readers thriller.
There are some graphic scenes that would make any normal human uncomfortable to say the least.
I loved how Mr. McCort portrays the heart-warming relationship dynamics within the Driscoll family. Oh I did love Duncan too!
The book also delivers on its' promise to the insight of the killers mind as well (the diabolical Santa).
Disturbing but excellent read.
Recommend reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Myst (0 KP) rated Her Quicksilver Lover (Even Gods Fall in Love #6) in Books
Feb 8, 2018
Interesting idea first off, I always like novels where God(s)/Godesss(es) walk around regular people and fall in love. Not that familiar with Roman lore but I digress Norse lore are even worse to follow. Have not read the books before this so I may be a little jaded in that I have no backstory of characters & events. I have read each summary of the books before this. I will do another short review add-on when I finish #1-5. Did not realize this is set in England during the time of Earls, if you are not familiar with historical times in England this may go over your head. Many times I had to stop and Google when they talk about names that sound Roman or historical items, little off-putting but for names they give simple terms to explain it. The blood fever thing is interesting. You could tell there was something going on with the silent partner. Loved how the Roman crew all rallied behind Mercury/Hermes. Loved the humor at the end over the key. Definitely can read this without really knowing past stories which is always a plus! I liked it just thought everything built up too quickly near the end and the wind up to that point very slow. I give it a 4 for the fact jumping into this 6 books in did not confuse me but the build up was slow and ended too quickly at the end.
EDIT: I have since caught up with the series, you really DO NOT need to read the ones before this. There's small nuances/events but it does not distract you.
<i>This is a free review via netgalley, I do not get paid for this!</i>
EDIT: I have since caught up with the series, you really DO NOT need to read the ones before this. There's small nuances/events but it does not distract you.
<i>This is a free review via netgalley, I do not get paid for this!</i>