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Bastille Vs. the Evil Librarians
Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson
10.0
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From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson comes Bastille vs....
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2163 KP) rated The Shimmer in Books
Mar 16, 2023 (Updated Mar 16, 2023)
Danger Shimmering into Disney Parks
In the near future, Eli Whitman is living in EPCOT, which has been designed to fulfill Walt Disney’s original vision for a community. His thirteenth birthday coincides with a solar eclipse, but it’s what happens at his party that is really strange. The video game he and his friends are playing comes to life, and someone jumps out from it, kidnapping him. Can his friends find him? Where is he?
When Ridley Pearson announced he was going to write about the kids of the Kingdom Keepers, I knew I had to find out what he was going to do next. I loved the advances in technology we get with the future setting. There’s plenty of action to keep us turning pages, and I’m curious to see where this saga is going to go next. I did have a little trouble keeping all the characters straight early on, but the important ones quickly emerge as the action starts. And yes, the original Kingdom Keepers we know and love are here, and they have a slightly larger roll than I was expecting, which was wonderful. I’m already anxious to see where the characters are going to find themselves next.
When Ridley Pearson announced he was going to write about the kids of the Kingdom Keepers, I knew I had to find out what he was going to do next. I loved the advances in technology we get with the future setting. There’s plenty of action to keep us turning pages, and I’m curious to see where this saga is going to go next. I did have a little trouble keeping all the characters straight early on, but the important ones quickly emerge as the action starts. And yes, the original Kingdom Keepers we know and love are here, and they have a slightly larger roll than I was expecting, which was wonderful. I’m already anxious to see where the characters are going to find themselves next.
King of the North (Fire Born #4)
6.0
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An ambitious king Spring, AD 777. Sigurd Hring, new King of the Svear, is summoning all the greatest...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2163 KP) rated Villains’ Realm in Books
Jun 6, 2024 (Updated Jun 6, 2024)
Enchantment Creating New Lands
Disney’s CEO has completely changed his mind about opening a Villains’ Realm in each park. The man was opposing it because it was a clear threat, giving the villains a foothold. But now, he’s greenlit them, and constructions has started immediately. In order to stop them from being completed, Eli and his friend Blair are going to have to team up with Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother. Can they stop it in time?
If you haven’t been following this saga, you’ll probably be lost trying to follow what is happening. Fans will want to read this book since it sets up the next book. Unfortunately, it falls into middle book trap. We don’t get any real battles with the villains, just stand offs. The climax is abrupt and the story just kind of stops. As usual in the series, the characters are thin as well. Plus some editing left me confused a couple of times. On the positive side, it’s always fun to watch the Kingdom Keepers interacting with Disney characters, and I enjoyed seeing a lot of the action taking place at the California parks. I’m curious to see where things are going, so I’ll be back for the conclusion.
If you haven’t been following this saga, you’ll probably be lost trying to follow what is happening. Fans will want to read this book since it sets up the next book. Unfortunately, it falls into middle book trap. We don’t get any real battles with the villains, just stand offs. The climax is abrupt and the story just kind of stops. As usual in the series, the characters are thin as well. Plus some editing left me confused a couple of times. On the positive side, it’s always fun to watch the Kingdom Keepers interacting with Disney characters, and I enjoyed seeing a lot of the action taking place at the California parks. I’m curious to see where things are going, so I’ll be back for the conclusion.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
The Twilight Saga has had a tough time in its short screen life. Constant comparisons to Harry Potter and now The Hunger Games have ensured that it has taken a back seat to these franchises. After 3 bitterly disappointing instalments in the series, Breaking Dawn Part 1 which was released last year lifted the bar and promised a fine end to the series. One year later, Part 2 has been released, but can it keep up the momentum set by its predecessor?
The answer, unfortunately is no and as Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen), Taylor Lautner, (Jacob Black) and Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan) pull the curtains over the long suffering franchise, you can’t help but feel a strange sense of sadness. These films haven’t been as good as they could’ve.
Breaking Dawn Part 2 starts immediately where the last film finished as Bella Swan (Stewart) gives birth to her half-human, half-vampire child. For some bizarre reason, the blood and childbirth elements of the last film have been completely thrown to the wind as Bella awakens as a vampire and is better than ever. Not reminding viewers of what went before was a major oversight on the part of director Bill Condon and those not familiar with the books will have a hard time remembering what happened last year.
It just so happens that Bella and Edward’s daughter Renesmee is growing at an astonishing rate. To show this, the producers have created her with a CGI layering effect which means using a real baby with a CGI face. Unfortunately, this means that Renesmee is the creepiest baby you will have ever had the misfortune to see. Surely there must’ve been some money left over from the $120m budget to create a real treat for fans. As it is, the first time you lay eyes on Renesmee, there is a gasp of horror rather than adoration.
Unfortunately, the sinister Volturi have gotten wind of Renesmee’s existence thanks to a brief cameo by Maggie Grace (Taken 2) as Irina. She mistakenly believes that the child is a pure vampire which is, under no circumstances allowed. Michael Sheen is a highlight as Aro, leader of the Volturi, his camp, unbelievably over the top performance, highlighted perfectly in the film’s finale, is a breath of fresh air against the heavy breathing, downtrodden characterisations from the rest of the cast.
Special effects have never been a strong point for this movie franchise and things really haven’t improved in this latest instalment. We’ve already mentioned the horror of Bella’s demon baby, but the werewolves are pretty bad too and really don’t move the game on at all. In fact, in some sequences it’s like we’re back in the 90s.
It’s not all bad news however; a real highlight for me throughout the course of the films has been the excellent cinematography. The setting is absolutely wonderful, from the snow-capped peaks and plains, to the cliff edges and forests, everything looks fantastic and director Bill Condon really knows how to maximise the environment he has been given to work with.
Unfortunately, no amount of scenery can save a film which, ultimately is a bit of a damp squib. This is more apparent in the finale, which I can honestly say is one of the worst I have ever seen in a film franchise. This is, partly down to Stephenie Meyer’s amateurish writing in the novel, which ensures the final scenes which should’ve been a joy to watch, are completely disregarded and frankly, stupid.
So, there we have it, The Twilight Saga has ended and what a saga it has been. Three average films at best gave way to Breaking Dawn Part 1, which showed promise and could possibly have been the saviour of the franchise. However, the release of Breaking Dawn Part 2 has pushed things back to where it was before the 3rd instalment, Eclipse. The series’ passionate fans have deserved much better and when it should’ve been going out with a bit of bite, instead, we leave Twilight on a bit of a whimper.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2012/12/03/twilight-breaking-dawn-pt-2-review/
The answer, unfortunately is no and as Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen), Taylor Lautner, (Jacob Black) and Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan) pull the curtains over the long suffering franchise, you can’t help but feel a strange sense of sadness. These films haven’t been as good as they could’ve.
Breaking Dawn Part 2 starts immediately where the last film finished as Bella Swan (Stewart) gives birth to her half-human, half-vampire child. For some bizarre reason, the blood and childbirth elements of the last film have been completely thrown to the wind as Bella awakens as a vampire and is better than ever. Not reminding viewers of what went before was a major oversight on the part of director Bill Condon and those not familiar with the books will have a hard time remembering what happened last year.
It just so happens that Bella and Edward’s daughter Renesmee is growing at an astonishing rate. To show this, the producers have created her with a CGI layering effect which means using a real baby with a CGI face. Unfortunately, this means that Renesmee is the creepiest baby you will have ever had the misfortune to see. Surely there must’ve been some money left over from the $120m budget to create a real treat for fans. As it is, the first time you lay eyes on Renesmee, there is a gasp of horror rather than adoration.
Unfortunately, the sinister Volturi have gotten wind of Renesmee’s existence thanks to a brief cameo by Maggie Grace (Taken 2) as Irina. She mistakenly believes that the child is a pure vampire which is, under no circumstances allowed. Michael Sheen is a highlight as Aro, leader of the Volturi, his camp, unbelievably over the top performance, highlighted perfectly in the film’s finale, is a breath of fresh air against the heavy breathing, downtrodden characterisations from the rest of the cast.
Special effects have never been a strong point for this movie franchise and things really haven’t improved in this latest instalment. We’ve already mentioned the horror of Bella’s demon baby, but the werewolves are pretty bad too and really don’t move the game on at all. In fact, in some sequences it’s like we’re back in the 90s.
It’s not all bad news however; a real highlight for me throughout the course of the films has been the excellent cinematography. The setting is absolutely wonderful, from the snow-capped peaks and plains, to the cliff edges and forests, everything looks fantastic and director Bill Condon really knows how to maximise the environment he has been given to work with.
Unfortunately, no amount of scenery can save a film which, ultimately is a bit of a damp squib. This is more apparent in the finale, which I can honestly say is one of the worst I have ever seen in a film franchise. This is, partly down to Stephenie Meyer’s amateurish writing in the novel, which ensures the final scenes which should’ve been a joy to watch, are completely disregarded and frankly, stupid.
So, there we have it, The Twilight Saga has ended and what a saga it has been. Three average films at best gave way to Breaking Dawn Part 1, which showed promise and could possibly have been the saviour of the franchise. However, the release of Breaking Dawn Part 2 has pushed things back to where it was before the 3rd instalment, Eclipse. The series’ passionate fans have deserved much better and when it should’ve been going out with a bit of bite, instead, we leave Twilight on a bit of a whimper.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2012/12/03/twilight-breaking-dawn-pt-2-review/
Bonita Avenue
Book
A darkly hilarious tale of a model family's disintegration. Professor Siem Sigerius - maths genius,...
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf (Naked Werewolf, #1) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
How To Flirt with a Naked Werewolf was a cute fun quick read. I was sucked into the story right away by the fun witty voice of the interior monologue, relaxed writing style, and likeable characters (oh ok and drool-worthy male protagonist). I don't often find such a fun writing style or voice from romance novels, but Molly Harper has surprised me. She used creative descriptions, character, and personality in her writing.
(minor spoiler alert, this paragraph only!) The plot itself was a little "twilight-esque" with the whole "we can't be together so I'm going to leave and be emo" thing, the "I'm too dangerous for you" thing, and the constant nausea and realizing she's pregnant thing. But I liked Mo a lot better than Bella (who, can I just say, deserved an emo masochist) so I'm not too bothered by it. Plus, these 370 pages had just as much plot—and maybe more—than the entire twilight saga combined. Then again that's not hard to do.
I really enjoyed this book and would pick up the next ones in the series if I had money and a job. Alas, I have $0.70 in my checking account and no income. I'll have to pick it up over the summer when I get my job back…
Content: some sex, mild language. Ages 18+
(minor spoiler alert, this paragraph only!) The plot itself was a little "twilight-esque" with the whole "we can't be together so I'm going to leave and be emo" thing, the "I'm too dangerous for you" thing, and the constant nausea and realizing she's pregnant thing. But I liked Mo a lot better than Bella (who, can I just say, deserved an emo masochist) so I'm not too bothered by it. Plus, these 370 pages had just as much plot—and maybe more—than the entire twilight saga combined. Then again that's not hard to do.
I really enjoyed this book and would pick up the next ones in the series if I had money and a job. Alas, I have $0.70 in my checking account and no income. I'll have to pick it up over the summer when I get my job back…
Content: some sex, mild language. Ages 18+
RavenclawPrincess913 (253 KP) rated Breaking Dawn (Twilight, #4) in Books
Feb 22, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
In the Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer my favorite book is Breaking Dawn. Why is this you ask? Renesmee, she is my favorite character out of the whole series. I love how her mother Bella went through all that pain and never gave up on her. I also understand why Rosalie was on Bella's side through it. I would have done the same if I was in their shoes. I found Edwards reaction cute when he could hear Renesmee's thoughts while she was still in Bella's belly. I also don't blame Jacob for sided with the Cullen's when he found out about Bella being Pegnant it was the right thing to do. I found Jacob imprinting on Renesmee very weird at first but later understand that it was necessary for the plot and it's different while she's still young. I find Renesmee to be an extremely intelligent young child and love the way she communicates. Also Irina deserved what she got in the end and kind of found it funny when Aro backed down because he was scared. I find him very creepy by the way too. I also love the ending when Bella let's Edward in her mind by letting her shield down and his reaction to it was adorable.
Would I recommend this book? Yes
Would I recommend this book? Yes
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2163 KP) rated Chocolate Cream Pie Murder in Books
Mar 13, 2019
Chocolate Pies and Lies
Valentine’s Day is coming, and The Cookie Jar is getting ready to cater various Valentine’s Parties with new treats. Hannah Swensen is throwing herself into this baking in order to not think about the news she’s gotten that Ross was already married, so their wedding was all a lie. She has told the town of Lake Eden in an effort to curb gossip, and all of her friends are with her. Which is why Ross sneaks back into town in the early hours of the morning demanding something from Hannah – something she might not be able to give him. What will happen if she can’t?
As a longtime fan of the series, I’ve been expecting this book for several books now. The murder itself takes place late in the book and is wrapped up quickly. There were some other plot elements I was enjoying, so I wasn’t bored, however, I wish things hadn’t been left dangling quite so much until the next book in the series. We get plenty of talk about food as always, with twenty-eight new recipes by my count. It is always nice to catch up with these characters, at least for this fan of the series. If you have been a fan, you’ll want the next chapter in Hannah’s saga, but if you are new, don’t jump in here.
As a longtime fan of the series, I’ve been expecting this book for several books now. The murder itself takes place late in the book and is wrapped up quickly. There were some other plot elements I was enjoying, so I wasn’t bored, however, I wish things hadn’t been left dangling quite so much until the next book in the series. We get plenty of talk about food as always, with twenty-eight new recipes by my count. It is always nice to catch up with these characters, at least for this fan of the series. If you have been a fan, you’ll want the next chapter in Hannah’s saga, but if you are new, don’t jump in here.
Often cited as one of the most influential comic-books/graphic novels, alongside the likes of [b:V for Vendetta|5805|V for Vendetta|Alan Moore|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1343668985s/5805.jpg|392838]'V for Vendetta' and [b:Batman: The Dark Knight Returns|59960|Batman The Dark Knight Returns (The Dark Knight Saga, #1)|Frank Miller|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327892039s/59960.jpg|1104159]'The Dark Knight Returns', this was, if I'm honest, one such that I'd never even heard of until the 2009 movie of the same name.
Set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superhero's are (were) real but have since been outlawed, there's a definite argument to be made that this would inspire the Pixar film The Incredibles: family drama, costumed superheroes coming out of retirement, conspiracies afoot ... see what I mean?
But whereas The Incredibles is aimed at a family audience, this is anything but: violent throughout, slow (at times seemingly glacial) moving and even dealing with the effects of (and fallout from) rape, this is definitely not one for the younger reader!
On the plus side, it does have a stunningly realised world alongside a compelling backstory to several of the characters: like several other literary classics, this is one that I can now say that I've read but wouldn't really be rushing back to do so again anytime soon.
Set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superhero's are (were) real but have since been outlawed, there's a definite argument to be made that this would inspire the Pixar film The Incredibles: family drama, costumed superheroes coming out of retirement, conspiracies afoot ... see what I mean?
But whereas The Incredibles is aimed at a family audience, this is anything but: violent throughout, slow (at times seemingly glacial) moving and even dealing with the effects of (and fallout from) rape, this is definitely not one for the younger reader!
On the plus side, it does have a stunningly realised world alongside a compelling backstory to several of the characters: like several other literary classics, this is one that I can now say that I've read but wouldn't really be rushing back to do so again anytime soon.