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Dana (24 KP) rated Snow like Ashes in Books
Mar 23, 2018
I was very interested by this book. I had gotten it as a Christmas present from one of my family members, but I had never actually picked it up to read. So when I decided to, I was pleasantly surprised.
I have been reading a lot of high fantasy novels as of late, and this had may similarities to them, but they were good commonalities.
I have been falling more and more in love with the kick ass lead female character in novels. It has been really great to see strong females emerging more and more each year.
The characters were fleshed out very well, but in the next book, I would like to see more of what they are doing and why they are doing it. I want to see the consequences of their actions. It was fun to see how the characters interacted with one another.
One of my favorite parts of high fantasy novels is the character names. I love how unique they are and this novel had just that. The creativity of the names is very refreshing.
Even though there was a bit of a love triangle, it was very tastefully done. It was refreshing to see that the entire story wasn't centered around the love triangle and that the main character was making choices, not based on the guys in her life, but what would be best for her and her people.
I loved the idea of the novel and how there were eight realms, the four seasons and the four other places. To add to this I loved how the names of the capitals were named after months in those seasons.
Even though I called the ending before I read it, it was still interesting to see how it would all play out.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes high fantasy novels, the different magical abilities people can have, or if they just want a great read.
I can't wait until the next novel!
I have been reading a lot of high fantasy novels as of late, and this had may similarities to them, but they were good commonalities.
I have been falling more and more in love with the kick ass lead female character in novels. It has been really great to see strong females emerging more and more each year.
The characters were fleshed out very well, but in the next book, I would like to see more of what they are doing and why they are doing it. I want to see the consequences of their actions. It was fun to see how the characters interacted with one another.
One of my favorite parts of high fantasy novels is the character names. I love how unique they are and this novel had just that. The creativity of the names is very refreshing.
Even though there was a bit of a love triangle, it was very tastefully done. It was refreshing to see that the entire story wasn't centered around the love triangle and that the main character was making choices, not based on the guys in her life, but what would be best for her and her people.
I loved the idea of the novel and how there were eight realms, the four seasons and the four other places. To add to this I loved how the names of the capitals were named after months in those seasons.
Even though I called the ending before I read it, it was still interesting to see how it would all play out.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes high fantasy novels, the different magical abilities people can have, or if they just want a great read.
I can't wait until the next novel!
Lenard (726 KP) rated Tolkien (2019) in Movies
May 19, 2019
Tolkien is a biopic of author/professor JRR Tolkien, the writer of The Hobbit and other fantasy novels. The only reason it was greenlit was to ensnare fans of the LOTR. The film opens with Ronald in the trenches of Belgium during WWI suffering from trench fever. He is overcome with a need to find his friend who he learns is nearby and in dire trouble. We then flashback to his country childhood home located in a village reminiscent of The Shire from his novels. His father has died and left the family with little hope of survival. The church has found a new home for the Tolkiens in Lake-town, I mean Birmingham. Soon, his mother is dead, Ronald and his brother become wards of the Catholic Church and are moved into the home of elderly woman who already cares for a young female pianist. Tolkien earns scholarship to a local private school where he accidentally becomes friends with other artistically inclined young men. One of whom, the poet, is secretly in love with Tolkien. Thus, with a kiss, I die in the trenches of Belgium fron poison gas. The whole film spends so much time finding connections to his famous novels, it never really gets to know the writer himself. Plus, Nicholas Hoult does not help much playing the writer like a Hugh Grant rom-com character. He even does the squinting quirk multiple times to romance his boarding house companion.
'Death comes to us all. When he came to Mort, he offered him a job'
An extremely early entry (#4) in [a:Terry Pratchett|1654|Terry Pratchett|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1235562205p2/1654.jpg]'s now-complete Discworld series (which spans 41 full length-novels), and the first in which the character of DEATH - HE WHO TALKS LIKE THIS - takes centre stage.
As this is an early novel, this is even before the introduction of DEATH's grand-daughter Susan Sto-Helit, even before the City Watch and (possibly) even before the introduction of The Witches - I say possibly as, although Granny Weatherwax has already put in an appearance in [b:Equal Rites|34507|Equal Rites (Discworld, #3; Witches #1)|Terry Pratchett|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1407706800s/34507.jpg|583611] there's a strong argument to be made that she is not the 'real' Granny Weatherwax.
This one does, however, introduce us to DEATHs flesh-and-blood horse Binky ('He'd tried skeletal steeds, but had got tired of constantly having to stop to wire bits back together'), as well as to some of the more memorable ancillary characters who continue to appear in his later novels, such as Albert, with a large part of that character's back-story filled in here.
It may not yet be up to the standard of the mid-series Discworld novels, but you can definitely see Pratchett's style continuing to evolve, with this an improvement on those that had come before.
An extremely early entry (#4) in [a:Terry Pratchett|1654|Terry Pratchett|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1235562205p2/1654.jpg]'s now-complete Discworld series (which spans 41 full length-novels), and the first in which the character of DEATH - HE WHO TALKS LIKE THIS - takes centre stage.
As this is an early novel, this is even before the introduction of DEATH's grand-daughter Susan Sto-Helit, even before the City Watch and (possibly) even before the introduction of The Witches - I say possibly as, although Granny Weatherwax has already put in an appearance in [b:Equal Rites|34507|Equal Rites (Discworld, #3; Witches #1)|Terry Pratchett|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1407706800s/34507.jpg|583611] there's a strong argument to be made that she is not the 'real' Granny Weatherwax.
This one does, however, introduce us to DEATHs flesh-and-blood horse Binky ('He'd tried skeletal steeds, but had got tired of constantly having to stop to wire bits back together'), as well as to some of the more memorable ancillary characters who continue to appear in his later novels, such as Albert, with a large part of that character's back-story filled in here.
It may not yet be up to the standard of the mid-series Discworld novels, but you can definitely see Pratchett's style continuing to evolve, with this an improvement on those that had come before.
Beryl Bainbridge: Love by All Sorts of Means
Book
Dame Beryl Bainbridge was one of the best loved and most recognisable English novelists of her...
The Woman in the Dunes
Book
Dazzlingly original, Kobo Abe's The Woman in the Dunes is one of the premier Japanese novels in the...
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Tin Man (Bliss, #1.5) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I probably should have read Bliss before this, but I didnt know Tin Man was the second in the series. It probably would have helped especially since there was so much going on. I love sci-fi but I tend to stay away from novels since it is so hard to translated sci-fi into words (and make them comprehendible). There was a lot going on in Tin Man and, while the author did a good job an explaining things, I still felt lost more than once. I loved the premise of this novel. Everything about was amazing. I became so engrossed that when the novel ended, I felt like a piece of me was left in the story. It was refreshing to read such a great LGBTQIA. I have been looking for novels like this, that arent so cookie cutter cut and dry LGBTQIA. I cant wait to read more.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Can't Stand the Heat (Recipe for Love #1) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I had such high hopes for this book. The only nice thing I have to say about this books is that at least Louisa Edwards can write a realistic storyline. Unfortunately, it was a story I was completely uninterested in. I was intrigued because I always have a thing for romance novels involving kitchens and cooks. That is why I asked for the book in the first place.
Yes, the characters were realistic not only in their behaviors and dialogues, but also in their interaction with each other. Yes, the storyline was also believable, with plenty of the usually deceit, secrets, and embarrassing moments that come with romances novels. But that was just it, I felt like I was reading just another romance. Nothing about this novel seemed special, unique, or stuck out in my mind.
Well written, with realistic characters and plot, but nothing special. I will not be reading the other two in the series.
Yes, the characters were realistic not only in their behaviors and dialogues, but also in their interaction with each other. Yes, the storyline was also believable, with plenty of the usually deceit, secrets, and embarrassing moments that come with romances novels. But that was just it, I felt like I was reading just another romance. Nothing about this novel seemed special, unique, or stuck out in my mind.
Well written, with realistic characters and plot, but nothing special. I will not be reading the other two in the series.
Jessica Erdas (463 KP) rated Circus of the Damned (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, #3) in Books
Sep 10, 2018
As I've said of the first two novels in this series, there are quite a few grammatical errors in these books. Not to mention, the repeated dialogue in all of them. That being said, the story is pretty solid and action packed. I like that the main character is so human for lack of a better word. She is regularly injured and carries scars from each injury instead of fully healing like in other novels. She is small but feisty and very easy to like. I do wish there were more romance or even just sex in the stories. It ramps up towards it but seems to fall short just before anything good happens. I've heard that this will change as you progress through the series but I find myself a little frustrated that I've made it through three books without much romantic progress in the storyline.
David McK (3562 KP) rated Solo Command (Star Wars: X-Wing, #7) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Released pre Episode I, the Star Wars: X-Wing books are, I believe, amongst the first EU ('Extended Universe') novels that do not focus on the main protaganists of the films as their central characters, taking instead LucasArts X-Wing/TIE fighter games of the 90s (as an aside - somebody really REALLY needs to re-make those for modern machines) as their inspiration.
This is the 7th book in the X-Wing series, and the 3rd to focus primarily on the activities of Wraith squadron, after both <i>Wraith Squadron</i> and <i>Iron Fist</i>. Unlike the previous novels in the series, this also includes a larger role for some of the characters from the original film series - the 'Solo' of the title actually refers to Han Solo, and not to Solo as in 'single'. As well, this also includes members of the first 4 X-Wings books (i.e. Rogue Squadron) in the story.
Blasted through this one in about 2 days flat.
This is the 7th book in the X-Wing series, and the 3rd to focus primarily on the activities of Wraith squadron, after both <i>Wraith Squadron</i> and <i>Iron Fist</i>. Unlike the previous novels in the series, this also includes a larger role for some of the characters from the original film series - the 'Solo' of the title actually refers to Han Solo, and not to Solo as in 'single'. As well, this also includes members of the first 4 X-Wings books (i.e. Rogue Squadron) in the story.
Blasted through this one in about 2 days flat.
David McK (3562 KP) rated Tarnished Knight (The Lost Stars, #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Spin-off from <i>The Lost Fleet</i> series, with this taking place after the events off/concurrently with those of [b:The Lost Fleet Beyond the Frontier Dreadnaught|9676849|The Lost Fleet Beyond the Frontier Dreadnaught (The Lost Fleet Beyond the Frontier, #1)|Jack Campbell|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388524088s/9676849.jpg|14564728] (and it's sequels).
Following the defeat of the Syndicate Worlds at the hands of 'Black Jack' Geary, more and more former Syndicate Worlds are rising up against their old masters - this novel concentrating on one such world, that of Midway.
However, neither former CEOs Artur Drakon or Gwen Iceni are sure if they can trust the other ...
As a spin-off, this introduces almost-entirely new characters, along with some mentioned in passing, or who have had a small role in previous novels. It also makes occasional reference to those earlier novels - particularly to 'Black Jack' Geary himself and some of his actions, even though he is entirely absent from the story.
Following the defeat of the Syndicate Worlds at the hands of 'Black Jack' Geary, more and more former Syndicate Worlds are rising up against their old masters - this novel concentrating on one such world, that of Midway.
However, neither former CEOs Artur Drakon or Gwen Iceni are sure if they can trust the other ...
As a spin-off, this introduces almost-entirely new characters, along with some mentioned in passing, or who have had a small role in previous novels. It also makes occasional reference to those earlier novels - particularly to 'Black Jack' Geary himself and some of his actions, even though he is entirely absent from the story.