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David McK (3666 KP) rated Traitors or Rome (Eagle #18) in Books

Mar 29, 2020

Book number 18 in Simon Scarrow's long-running Macro and Cato series, which means he's catching up on Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe for sheer proliferation of books with the same central character(s) (and that's a good thing).

Following on from the previous novel ("The Blood of Rome"), Macro and Cato are still in charge of the Praetorians, and still on the eastern fringes of the Roman Empire (Syria), with Cato then tasked with making a dangerous journey into Parthia to deliver Rome's demands to the ruler of that nation while the recently-married (at the start of the novel) Macro, under General Corbulo, lays siege to the small kingdom of Thapsis in the mountains which has risen in revolt against Rome.

I have to say, with a title like 'Traitors of Rome' and with the extremely mercenary (historical) nature of the Praetorian Guard, I first thought - when I saw the title - that the Traitors of Rome would themselves prove to be the Praetorians themselves!

That's not the case, however, read the novel to finds out what is ...

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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Wizard's chance ( The Realm book 1) in Books

Apr 10, 2020

A romance set in a fantasy world with a modern day heroine.

Curvy, with glasses, and her nose always buried in a book. That's Samantha, a dreamer waiting for her happily ever after and looking for her prince charming.

Her whole life changes the day she walks into the oddest bookshop and finds a magical book that transports her to a tropical island with a hunk who thinks he's a wizard.

And that's not the strangest thing about her sudden arrival in paradise. Try little green people who can breath underwater and an evil sorceress intent on killing Samantha. But the most astonishing thing of all? The slow seduction by a wizard who thinks she's his best chance for breaking his curse.

This book mixed magic and historical romance. It was fun ,quirky and so pleasant to read! Yes some bits a bit cringy but I found it added something to the story. How many of us that read both genres or a good romance and wish to fall into the book? Me for one!!! I'm really looking forward to book 2!!

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Awix (3310 KP) rated The Current War (2017) in Movies

Jul 30, 2019 (Updated Jul 30, 2019)

The Current War (2017)

2017 | Biography, Drama, History

7.2

(12 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

Striking historical drama; unfortunate enough to get caught on the fringes of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, which is why it has sat on the shelf for a couple of years since it was finished. Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse engage in a battle of wills to bring electric light to America, but will victory go to the more principled man, or the more ruthless? And who is who?

Lots of good material here for a really interesting film about, essentially, the birth of the modern world; perhaps too much. The film's problem is really that it tries to cover everything - not just the rivalry between the two men, but also incidents from Edison's private life, the development of the electric chair, and the career of the much-mythologised but enigmatic inventor Nikola Tesla. As a result everything gets covered in a somewhat cursory manner and it often feels somewhat rushed. Still, it's a handsome looking film, the performances are excellent, and the direction is sometimes as inventive as the characters. Not entirely successful by any means, but a very distinguished failure.