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We All Want Impossible Things
10.0
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Who knows you better than your best friend? Who knows your secrets, your fears, your desires, your...
David McK (3372 KP) rated Waterworld (1995) in Movies
Jun 21, 2022
The movie that all-but-sank Kevin Costner's career
In the early to mid 90s, Kevin Costner was riding high in Hollywood.
Then he had the one-two misfore of this (at one point, the most expensive flop ever made, I believe) and 'The Postman'.
Both are set in a post-apocalyptic future: here, one where the world has flooded 'due to the melting of the ice shelves' (don't even), with 'dry land' now virtually a myth and where gangs of bikers roam the outlands on custom-built vehicles in search of fuel ...
Sorry, sorry, that's Mad Max.
But you can definitely see the similarities: swap the bikers for jet ski's, replace the loner character played by Mel Gibson for one played by with Kevin Costner and you're virtually there!
Add a bit of Dennis Hopper to completely ham it up, a soupcon of mystery around The Mariner and his mutation, and a search for the mysterious Dryland and there you have it ...
Not as bad as it's made out to be, but nor is it brilliant by any stretch of the imagination
Then he had the one-two misfore of this (at one point, the most expensive flop ever made, I believe) and 'The Postman'.
Both are set in a post-apocalyptic future: here, one where the world has flooded 'due to the melting of the ice shelves' (don't even), with 'dry land' now virtually a myth and where gangs of bikers roam the outlands on custom-built vehicles in search of fuel ...
Sorry, sorry, that's Mad Max.
But you can definitely see the similarities: swap the bikers for jet ski's, replace the loner character played by Mel Gibson for one played by with Kevin Costner and you're virtually there!
Add a bit of Dennis Hopper to completely ham it up, a soupcon of mystery around The Mariner and his mutation, and a search for the mysterious Dryland and there you have it ...
Not as bad as it's made out to be, but nor is it brilliant by any stretch of the imagination
The Woman Underwater
Book
No one disappears without a trace…. Don’t try to tell Victoria Sands that time heals all...
Mystery Suspense Thriller
Merissa (11958 KP) rated The Fire King's Daughter (The Descendants #1) in Books
Oct 7, 2022
THE FIRE KING'S DAUGHTER is the first in The Descendants series and we start with Heidi and Isaiah. Both of them are heirs to the throne, of the Fire and Ice thrones respectively, but they are sent to Earth to protect them from the war that is currently raging. Isaiah finds his feet quickly enough, but Heidi struggles.
This was a quick read that draws you in, giving out information about the kingdoms, the monarchies, Heidi, Isaiah, plus others, as and when needed rather than being an info-dump. There is a possible romantic connection here between Heidi and Isaiah that I look forward to reading more about. Let's just say... they have potential!
This story is only just starting and you are left with a cliffhanger, so fair warning! A great start to a series and definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This was a quick read that draws you in, giving out information about the kingdoms, the monarchies, Heidi, Isaiah, plus others, as and when needed rather than being an info-dump. There is a possible romantic connection here between Heidi and Isaiah that I look forward to reading more about. Let's just say... they have potential!
This story is only just starting and you are left with a cliffhanger, so fair warning! A great start to a series and definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
David McK (3372 KP) rated The Last Odyssey (Sigma Force #15) in Books
Feb 12, 2023
By and large, you know what you're getting with James Rollins Sigma Force novels (of which this is number 15!): a modern-day techno thriller, usually a race against time with dire consequences of failure, and linked to a mystery in the past.
This one is no different.
Having said that, I do have to say that these are also a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine!
This time around, the link to the past is the tale as told in Homer's (not *that* Homer! D'Oh!) Odyssey, when Odysseus and his crew spent years trying to get home again following the fall of Troy. What if the fantastical stories, and his journeys, all had their basis in fact?
Following a discovery of an ancient ship entombed in ice in a glacier in Iceland, and the cargo it carries, this sets the events (and the clock) ticking for this novel: events that sees Commander Grayson Pierce and his now-wife Seichan return from Maternity/Paternity leave in order to help out solving the mystery.
As usual, there's also a traitor or two ...
This one is no different.
Having said that, I do have to say that these are also a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine!
This time around, the link to the past is the tale as told in Homer's (not *that* Homer! D'Oh!) Odyssey, when Odysseus and his crew spent years trying to get home again following the fall of Troy. What if the fantastical stories, and his journeys, all had their basis in fact?
Following a discovery of an ancient ship entombed in ice in a glacier in Iceland, and the cargo it carries, this sets the events (and the clock) ticking for this novel: events that sees Commander Grayson Pierce and his now-wife Seichan return from Maternity/Paternity leave in order to help out solving the mystery.
As usual, there's also a traitor or two ...
Flight of the Necromancer
Book
In a world where magic is all but forgotten, one novice necromancer will discover the true cost of...
Action and Adventure Sword and Sorcery Epic Fantasy Novella
Light & Kingdom (Royal & Piper #2)
10.0
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Over a year after the Piper of HameLonn disappeared, his secret is found out. In the capital of...
Fantasy Romance Fairytale Retelling Young Adult
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Shifting Flames ( Bound by Fire 1) in Books
May 2, 2024
81 of 220
Kindle
Shifting Flames ( Bound by Fire 1)
By Victoria A. Williams
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hunted, persecuted and taken as slaves, the Fire Born know one thing, hide or die.
When Cyra is taken by the terrifying Prince Theron to become a slave in Wolfram Citadel, she must adapt or fight. Beautiful and ferocious, Cyra would rather die, killing as many of her enemy as she can, than submit to them.
Prince Theron knows his enemy, his duty and to follow his orders. Kill the Fire Born, protect the country. So why does he refuse to kill the ferocious Fire Born girl keeping her hidden instead? His beliefs and sanity are challenged and he is drawn to her even knowing he risks being burnt.
If you enjoy slow burn enemies to lovers romance, epic fantasy world building and elemental magic then this is the book for you. Enjoy it while it’s hot.
This was pretty decent read a good fantasy fire vs ice! Characters we’re interesting the story was interesting. I can’t help but think I’ve read a similar book though.
Kindle
Shifting Flames ( Bound by Fire 1)
By Victoria A. Williams
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hunted, persecuted and taken as slaves, the Fire Born know one thing, hide or die.
When Cyra is taken by the terrifying Prince Theron to become a slave in Wolfram Citadel, she must adapt or fight. Beautiful and ferocious, Cyra would rather die, killing as many of her enemy as she can, than submit to them.
Prince Theron knows his enemy, his duty and to follow his orders. Kill the Fire Born, protect the country. So why does he refuse to kill the ferocious Fire Born girl keeping her hidden instead? His beliefs and sanity are challenged and he is drawn to her even knowing he risks being burnt.
If you enjoy slow burn enemies to lovers romance, epic fantasy world building and elemental magic then this is the book for you. Enjoy it while it’s hot.
This was pretty decent read a good fantasy fire vs ice! Characters we’re interesting the story was interesting. I can’t help but think I’ve read a similar book though.
Hadley (567 KP) rated Ghostly Tales: Spine-Chilling Stories of the Victorian Age in Books
Jan 20, 2021
Ghost stories (1 more)
Well-written
This collection of tales will transport you to a time when staircases creaked in old manor houses, and a candle could be blown out by a gust of wind, or by a passing ghost. Penned by some of the greatest Victorian novelists and masters of the ghost story genre, these stories come alive alongside exquisitely eerie art in this special illustrated edition.
Since this is a short story collection, I will list the stories with a short synopsis and what I liked and disliked about them.
"Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad" by M.R. James
A professor decides to go on vacation to work on his golf game while doing a little side work in the town's archaeology, but when he digs up an old whistle and blows into it, he instantly regrets what the whistle brings.
Liked: the buildup to the climax was done masterfully, and the superstition that was used as the premise of the story
Disliked: that the ending is never explained
"The Old Nurse's Story" by Elizabeth Gaskell
When a governess and her ward are taken to a haunted house, they found out that everyone has to pay for their misdeeds.
Liked: the perfect example of what Victorian ghost stories were
Disliked: Nothing; I really enjoyed this one
"The Signalman" by Charles Dickens
A railroad signalman tells a co-worker that he is seeing a ghost that warns him of future accidents, but his co-worker can't tell if he's telling the truth or losing his mind.
Liked: an excellent ghost story; I wish it were an entire novel
Disliked: nothing
"The Body-Snatcher" by Robert Louis Stevenson
When a medical student realizes that the 'donated' bodies are murder victims, he's not so sure he can live with the consequences.
Liked: the ending wasn't predictable
Disliked: at the start, there's a little confusion among who is who
" The Captain of the Pole-Star" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
A group of whalers are stuck in the middle of the ocean because of ice burgs, but the ice is the least of their problems when they begin to hear and see supernatural things out on the ice.
Liked: the plot of the story was really good
Disliked: the run-on sentences, some of the accents were hard to decipher, and the ending wasn't explained
"The Phantom Coach" by Amelia B. Edwards
A young man loses his way while on a hunt, but soon finds help with an old man that is convinced the supernatural is real, and when he senses the young man does not, he puts him up against forces from the other side.
Liked: the story never lulled, and the descriptions of the undead were amazing
Disliked: nothing, I thought the story was really good
"The Screaming Skull" by F. Marion Crawford
When the friend of a family finds a skull in the latter's home, he begins to question whether or not the husband murdered his wife.
Liked: I love that this story is actually based off an urban legend
Disliked: the way the author kept breaking away from the story to talk to the audience; it caused the flow of the story to stop
Overall, the Victorian-era authors knew how to write a ghost story. I absolutely loved this collection of short stories. I highly recommend this book to people who love a good 'ol fashioned ghost story (not the gory ones we have today).
Since this is a short story collection, I will list the stories with a short synopsis and what I liked and disliked about them.
"Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad" by M.R. James
A professor decides to go on vacation to work on his golf game while doing a little side work in the town's archaeology, but when he digs up an old whistle and blows into it, he instantly regrets what the whistle brings.
Liked: the buildup to the climax was done masterfully, and the superstition that was used as the premise of the story
Disliked: that the ending is never explained
"The Old Nurse's Story" by Elizabeth Gaskell
When a governess and her ward are taken to a haunted house, they found out that everyone has to pay for their misdeeds.
Liked: the perfect example of what Victorian ghost stories were
Disliked: Nothing; I really enjoyed this one
"The Signalman" by Charles Dickens
A railroad signalman tells a co-worker that he is seeing a ghost that warns him of future accidents, but his co-worker can't tell if he's telling the truth or losing his mind.
Liked: an excellent ghost story; I wish it were an entire novel
Disliked: nothing
"The Body-Snatcher" by Robert Louis Stevenson
When a medical student realizes that the 'donated' bodies are murder victims, he's not so sure he can live with the consequences.
Liked: the ending wasn't predictable
Disliked: at the start, there's a little confusion among who is who
" The Captain of the Pole-Star" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
A group of whalers are stuck in the middle of the ocean because of ice burgs, but the ice is the least of their problems when they begin to hear and see supernatural things out on the ice.
Liked: the plot of the story was really good
Disliked: the run-on sentences, some of the accents were hard to decipher, and the ending wasn't explained
"The Phantom Coach" by Amelia B. Edwards
A young man loses his way while on a hunt, but soon finds help with an old man that is convinced the supernatural is real, and when he senses the young man does not, he puts him up against forces from the other side.
Liked: the story never lulled, and the descriptions of the undead were amazing
Disliked: nothing, I thought the story was really good
"The Screaming Skull" by F. Marion Crawford
When the friend of a family finds a skull in the latter's home, he begins to question whether or not the husband murdered his wife.
Liked: I love that this story is actually based off an urban legend
Disliked: the way the author kept breaking away from the story to talk to the audience; it caused the flow of the story to stop
Overall, the Victorian-era authors knew how to write a ghost story. I absolutely loved this collection of short stories. I highly recommend this book to people who love a good 'ol fashioned ghost story (not the gory ones we have today).
Adventure Time Game Wizard - Draw Your Own Adventure Time Games
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"Truly innovative and potentially infinite, Adventure Time Game Wizard is an essential purchase for...