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Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Book of Blood (2008) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
"The dead have highways. Highways that lead to intersections and intersections that spill into our world. And if you find yourself at one of those intersections, you should stop and you should listen because the dead have stories to tell."
Mary Florescu, writer, teacher, and overall expert of the paranormal, is still looking for the distinct evidence of supernatural occurences. A house catches her eye that has been on the market since the daughter of the couple living there before had been murdered. It's said the original homeowner was thrown against the wall by an invisible force so hard that shards of his broken bones pierced his lungs and he choked to death on his own blood. During each incident, the message, "Don't mock us," was found written in blood on the closet doors. Mary decides to move into the house to find proof of the supernatural, bringing an audio/video technician, Reg Fuller, to help document anything they find. A new student, Simon McNeal, transfers into Mary's class. He seems to have a special gift related to the paranormal and is brought into the house to help work with Mary and Reg on the project. Strange occurences seem to begin immediately and only get more violent as they occur. But as things progress, the relationship between Mary and Simon turns physical and suspicious evidence is found in Simon's bag that point to him being a fake. Is the house actually "haunted," or is Simon playing everyone for a fool?
I'm a fairly big fan of Clive Barker's work. I've loved the books and stories (Books of Blood Vol. 1-3, Mister B. Gone, The Hellbound Heart) of his that I've read and several of his films (Hellraiser, Midnight Meat Train) are some of the best the horror genre has to offer. Midnight Meat Train was probably the best horror film to come out of last year, so my expectations were high when I heard about this film and saw the trailer. This was one of my most anticipated horror films of the year even though it seemed to get the short end of the stick with its release much like what happened with Midnight Meat Train. I can tell you that Book of Blood is a good watch, but it may not be what you're expecting.
Book of Blood has its bloody moments, but it's not an all out gorefest. It's actually more of a supernatural thriller. The director, John Harrison, described the film as being more along the lines of films like The Others and The Orphanage. It relies more on mood and atmosphere rather than blood and guts splattering all over your face, which isn't a bad thing at all if done correctly. Book of Blood almost pulls that aspect of the film flawlessly. I say, "almost," because certain lines of dialogue ("I promise we will listen and I will tell your stories to the world.") and a few of the things that happened in the final act of the film (steel briefcase...it'll make sense when you see it) seem a bit cheesy, but may sit better with me on repeat viewings.
The film actually reminded me of Hellraiser quite a bit throughout the film. Other than Doug Bradley's brief cameo (if you blink, you'll probably miss him), the opening scene of when Reg and Mary go into the room where everything happened just reminds me of Frank staying in the attic in Hellraiser. Hellraiser is one of my favorite horror films, so the brief nod to the film (whether intentional or not) was very welcome to me.
My main concern with Book of Blood was how they were going to turn a short story that was originally just an introduction to the actual Books of Blood by Clive Barker into a full length film. The concern wound up being for nothing as Book of Blood met nearly all of my expectations and was extremely faithful to the original material while bringing in elements from another one of his stories called, "On Jerusalem Street." The story fleshes out nicely and the acting is good, for the most part. I think the perfectionist in me kept me from rating this any higher, but I'd definitely recommend it as it's a worthy addition to any avid horror movie enthusiast's collection.
Mary Florescu, writer, teacher, and overall expert of the paranormal, is still looking for the distinct evidence of supernatural occurences. A house catches her eye that has been on the market since the daughter of the couple living there before had been murdered. It's said the original homeowner was thrown against the wall by an invisible force so hard that shards of his broken bones pierced his lungs and he choked to death on his own blood. During each incident, the message, "Don't mock us," was found written in blood on the closet doors. Mary decides to move into the house to find proof of the supernatural, bringing an audio/video technician, Reg Fuller, to help document anything they find. A new student, Simon McNeal, transfers into Mary's class. He seems to have a special gift related to the paranormal and is brought into the house to help work with Mary and Reg on the project. Strange occurences seem to begin immediately and only get more violent as they occur. But as things progress, the relationship between Mary and Simon turns physical and suspicious evidence is found in Simon's bag that point to him being a fake. Is the house actually "haunted," or is Simon playing everyone for a fool?
I'm a fairly big fan of Clive Barker's work. I've loved the books and stories (Books of Blood Vol. 1-3, Mister B. Gone, The Hellbound Heart) of his that I've read and several of his films (Hellraiser, Midnight Meat Train) are some of the best the horror genre has to offer. Midnight Meat Train was probably the best horror film to come out of last year, so my expectations were high when I heard about this film and saw the trailer. This was one of my most anticipated horror films of the year even though it seemed to get the short end of the stick with its release much like what happened with Midnight Meat Train. I can tell you that Book of Blood is a good watch, but it may not be what you're expecting.
Book of Blood has its bloody moments, but it's not an all out gorefest. It's actually more of a supernatural thriller. The director, John Harrison, described the film as being more along the lines of films like The Others and The Orphanage. It relies more on mood and atmosphere rather than blood and guts splattering all over your face, which isn't a bad thing at all if done correctly. Book of Blood almost pulls that aspect of the film flawlessly. I say, "almost," because certain lines of dialogue ("I promise we will listen and I will tell your stories to the world.") and a few of the things that happened in the final act of the film (steel briefcase...it'll make sense when you see it) seem a bit cheesy, but may sit better with me on repeat viewings.
The film actually reminded me of Hellraiser quite a bit throughout the film. Other than Doug Bradley's brief cameo (if you blink, you'll probably miss him), the opening scene of when Reg and Mary go into the room where everything happened just reminds me of Frank staying in the attic in Hellraiser. Hellraiser is one of my favorite horror films, so the brief nod to the film (whether intentional or not) was very welcome to me.
My main concern with Book of Blood was how they were going to turn a short story that was originally just an introduction to the actual Books of Blood by Clive Barker into a full length film. The concern wound up being for nothing as Book of Blood met nearly all of my expectations and was extremely faithful to the original material while bringing in elements from another one of his stories called, "On Jerusalem Street." The story fleshes out nicely and the acting is good, for the most part. I think the perfectionist in me kept me from rating this any higher, but I'd definitely recommend it as it's a worthy addition to any avid horror movie enthusiast's collection.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020) in Movies
Oct 24, 2020
The epic ensemble cast (1 more)
The direction from Aaron Sorkin
“Trial” is a less wordy triumph for Sorkin
So, "The Trial of the Chicago 7" is one which I was unfortunately unable to catch on its short "Oscar-nom" cinema release, but is now on Netflix. And boy, for older viewers who prefer historical drama over wham-bam action, this is definitely worth the watch.
I know a decent bit of 20th century history, but this is a story I knew nothing about. At the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago, anti-Vietnam protests resulted in a violent and brutal confrontation with the police. Eight of the ring-leaders were rounded up and charged with inciting the violence. What happens in the court with the eight convicted men, in front of an old and partisan judge (the wonderful Frank Langella), is simply amazing.
There's a nice wiki article on the history you can look up. But its worth watching the movie blind, since it's a great rollercoaster ride.
If you read my blog regularly, you'll know that one of my favourite of the awards in award season is the "Ensemble Cast" award from the Screen Actor's Guild (SAG). I think a good measure of which movies might be good candidates for this award is when you find it difficult to single out particular actors for an individual award when they all work so well together. For this is a cast to die for:
- Sacha Baron Cohen, as Abbie Hoffman: an intelligent 'straight' role, poles apart from Borat and Bruno, that he delivers on 100%;
- Jeremy Strong as Hoffman's buddy Jerry Rubin, doing an enormously entertaining turn;
- Eddie Redmayne as the apparently 'sensible one' Tom Hayden. A bit similar to his role in "Les Miserables", but diving off in a different direction at a key point;
- John Carroll Lynch as the genuine 'boy scout' David Dellinger, so good in "The Founder" and here as the only family man under the judgmental stare of his wife and son;
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Panther member Bobby Seale - the "minus 1" from the title - in an astonishingly powerful performance;
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the prosecutor Richard Schultz - always quietly dependable;
- And the fantastic Mark Rylance as the defense attorney William Kunstler. I appreciate I am having a tendency to gush in this review, but Rylance expresses such a range of frustration and disgust here that his performance is nothing short of electrifying.
There's also a cracking cameo from Michael Keaton playing the former US Attorney General, Ramsey Clark.
I would think that any of these performances might be Oscar-worthy (somewhere in the Actor/Supporting Actor categories) but my personal choices would be Rylance for Best Actor and Baron Cohen and Langella for Best Supporting Actor nods.
One of my issues with the scripts of Aaron Sorkin is that they tend to be overly dense and wordy. In epic TV like "The West Wing" he could spread the dialogue over a whole series, but in a feature film it can become very dense and verbose. I found that in both of his last two films - "Molly's Game" and "Steve Jobs".
Here, in "The Trial of the Chicago 7", even though there's a lot of speechifying, to me it never felt over the top. Although an epic courtroom drama (akin to his debut script "A Few Good Men") the characters are given time to breath between the lines. And many of those lines are real zingers, particularly out of the mouth of stand-up anarchist Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen).
Aside from the script being a zinger, the direction here from Aaron Sorkin is also top-notch. If you thought a courtroom drama was going to be static and boring, think again. The camera never rests, and inserted flashbacks (excellent film editing from Alan Baumgarten) maintain the momentum of the story.
Overall, this is a movie tour-de-force from Sorkin, and a fantastic watch. Could this be a writing/directing double Oscar nom for Sorkin?
(For the full graphical review, check out the bob the movie man review here - https://rb.gy/y6bxtf . Thanks.)
I know a decent bit of 20th century history, but this is a story I knew nothing about. At the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago, anti-Vietnam protests resulted in a violent and brutal confrontation with the police. Eight of the ring-leaders were rounded up and charged with inciting the violence. What happens in the court with the eight convicted men, in front of an old and partisan judge (the wonderful Frank Langella), is simply amazing.
There's a nice wiki article on the history you can look up. But its worth watching the movie blind, since it's a great rollercoaster ride.
If you read my blog regularly, you'll know that one of my favourite of the awards in award season is the "Ensemble Cast" award from the Screen Actor's Guild (SAG). I think a good measure of which movies might be good candidates for this award is when you find it difficult to single out particular actors for an individual award when they all work so well together. For this is a cast to die for:
- Sacha Baron Cohen, as Abbie Hoffman: an intelligent 'straight' role, poles apart from Borat and Bruno, that he delivers on 100%;
- Jeremy Strong as Hoffman's buddy Jerry Rubin, doing an enormously entertaining turn;
- Eddie Redmayne as the apparently 'sensible one' Tom Hayden. A bit similar to his role in "Les Miserables", but diving off in a different direction at a key point;
- John Carroll Lynch as the genuine 'boy scout' David Dellinger, so good in "The Founder" and here as the only family man under the judgmental stare of his wife and son;
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Panther member Bobby Seale - the "minus 1" from the title - in an astonishingly powerful performance;
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the prosecutor Richard Schultz - always quietly dependable;
- And the fantastic Mark Rylance as the defense attorney William Kunstler. I appreciate I am having a tendency to gush in this review, but Rylance expresses such a range of frustration and disgust here that his performance is nothing short of electrifying.
There's also a cracking cameo from Michael Keaton playing the former US Attorney General, Ramsey Clark.
I would think that any of these performances might be Oscar-worthy (somewhere in the Actor/Supporting Actor categories) but my personal choices would be Rylance for Best Actor and Baron Cohen and Langella for Best Supporting Actor nods.
One of my issues with the scripts of Aaron Sorkin is that they tend to be overly dense and wordy. In epic TV like "The West Wing" he could spread the dialogue over a whole series, but in a feature film it can become very dense and verbose. I found that in both of his last two films - "Molly's Game" and "Steve Jobs".
Here, in "The Trial of the Chicago 7", even though there's a lot of speechifying, to me it never felt over the top. Although an epic courtroom drama (akin to his debut script "A Few Good Men") the characters are given time to breath between the lines. And many of those lines are real zingers, particularly out of the mouth of stand-up anarchist Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen).
Aside from the script being a zinger, the direction here from Aaron Sorkin is also top-notch. If you thought a courtroom drama was going to be static and boring, think again. The camera never rests, and inserted flashbacks (excellent film editing from Alan Baumgarten) maintain the momentum of the story.
Overall, this is a movie tour-de-force from Sorkin, and a fantastic watch. Could this be a writing/directing double Oscar nom for Sorkin?
(For the full graphical review, check out the bob the movie man review here - https://rb.gy/y6bxtf . Thanks.)
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Teen Titans Go! To the Movies (2018) in Movies
Feb 8, 2019
Good Fun
The Teen Titans go on yet another crazy adventure when Robin decides it’s time for them to up their popularity by making a movie.
Acting: 10
This crew has been around for years and knows their way around voice acting. Voices match respective characters perfectly. Raven sounds just like a moody spellcaster while Starfire is bright and bubbly. Meanwhile, Beast Boy tries to be cool, but comes off as the biggest nerd in the group. When you read the comics and see how the characters act and interact, you can envision their voices sounding just like this.
Beginning: 10
You get action. You get funny. You get exactly what you get from the show on an even more extreme level. These superheroes crack me up and act just like you think teenagers would if given these powers. The first ten minutes shows them kicking butt and cracking you up while doing it.
Characters: 10
The movie succeeds off more than just the appeal of the Titans, although it certainly helps to see funny familiar faces like Cyborg doing his usual Cyborg thing. There are a number of other characters here that fill the time and keep you entertained. Between the Justice League, given exaggerated personalities, and a couple of cameos I won’t dare ruin, I was happy to see, not only the depth of character choices, but each character contributing to the fun of the story.
Cinematography/Visuals: 8
It’s always a treat watching superhero teamups and this movie takes full advantage of that. The Teen Titans works so well together because all of their powers are unique so it’s cool to visually see them interact during action sequences. The movie also takes advantage of moving around to different locations so you’re taken on quite a journey by the end of it.
Conflict: 9
Action succeeds by not being overdone and contributing to the funny. The Titans kick butt, but they’re an extremely goofy bunch so I take even more pleasure in watching them fight. The movie has a pretty short run-time but directors Aaron Horvath and Peter Rida Michail make sure that time is maximized with quality action sequences.
Genre: 6
I’ve had a lot of good things to say so far, but the movie isn’t without its flaws. Those shortcomings keep it from extending into the classic realm of superhero films. Even animated superhero movies is starting to become a crowded genre and the challenge to find a place among the greats is getting tougher. Teen Titans Go! to the Movies holds its own…but I wouldn’t call it a classic.
Memorability: 10
Pace: 8
The funny gags within the movie not only take the show to new levels, it also helps to move the pace along quite nicely. Titans is not just kid-funny, but its subtle references make it funny on an adult level as well. Only adults that know DC movie history will pick up on some of the classic cameos within the story. One minute the crew is locked in a heated battle, the next you’re hearing hilarious jabs at Marvel. It’s meant to be fun and it succeeds greatly in that aspect.
Plot: 4
Resolution: 10
Overall: 85
The plot was probably the weakest point of Teen Titans Go! to the Movies and kept the movie from jumping to A-status. The show is typically much ado about nothing and it’s hard to translate that to the big screen. While the story lacked in some spots and the overall plot was meh, the movie itself is still really enjoyable. Don’t expect to have your mind blown, but expect to have a really good time.
Acting: 10
This crew has been around for years and knows their way around voice acting. Voices match respective characters perfectly. Raven sounds just like a moody spellcaster while Starfire is bright and bubbly. Meanwhile, Beast Boy tries to be cool, but comes off as the biggest nerd in the group. When you read the comics and see how the characters act and interact, you can envision their voices sounding just like this.
Beginning: 10
You get action. You get funny. You get exactly what you get from the show on an even more extreme level. These superheroes crack me up and act just like you think teenagers would if given these powers. The first ten minutes shows them kicking butt and cracking you up while doing it.
Characters: 10
The movie succeeds off more than just the appeal of the Titans, although it certainly helps to see funny familiar faces like Cyborg doing his usual Cyborg thing. There are a number of other characters here that fill the time and keep you entertained. Between the Justice League, given exaggerated personalities, and a couple of cameos I won’t dare ruin, I was happy to see, not only the depth of character choices, but each character contributing to the fun of the story.
Cinematography/Visuals: 8
It’s always a treat watching superhero teamups and this movie takes full advantage of that. The Teen Titans works so well together because all of their powers are unique so it’s cool to visually see them interact during action sequences. The movie also takes advantage of moving around to different locations so you’re taken on quite a journey by the end of it.
Conflict: 9
Action succeeds by not being overdone and contributing to the funny. The Titans kick butt, but they’re an extremely goofy bunch so I take even more pleasure in watching them fight. The movie has a pretty short run-time but directors Aaron Horvath and Peter Rida Michail make sure that time is maximized with quality action sequences.
Genre: 6
I’ve had a lot of good things to say so far, but the movie isn’t without its flaws. Those shortcomings keep it from extending into the classic realm of superhero films. Even animated superhero movies is starting to become a crowded genre and the challenge to find a place among the greats is getting tougher. Teen Titans Go! to the Movies holds its own…but I wouldn’t call it a classic.
Memorability: 10
Pace: 8
The funny gags within the movie not only take the show to new levels, it also helps to move the pace along quite nicely. Titans is not just kid-funny, but its subtle references make it funny on an adult level as well. Only adults that know DC movie history will pick up on some of the classic cameos within the story. One minute the crew is locked in a heated battle, the next you’re hearing hilarious jabs at Marvel. It’s meant to be fun and it succeeds greatly in that aspect.
Plot: 4
Resolution: 10
Overall: 85
The plot was probably the weakest point of Teen Titans Go! to the Movies and kept the movie from jumping to A-status. The show is typically much ado about nothing and it’s hard to translate that to the big screen. While the story lacked in some spots and the overall plot was meh, the movie itself is still really enjoyable. Don’t expect to have your mind blown, but expect to have a really good time.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Ashton's Bride in Books
Feb 15, 2019
I have mixed feelings about this book. It was well-written, Margaret and Ashton were sympathetic, but I hated the way she time-traveled. It started off well enough until that point and I had a hard time getting past it. (I'll talk more about that in a hidden spoiler) Other than the time-travel, which is a big part of the book obviously, I enjoyed it. The relationship between Margaret and Ashton was pretty realistic and loving. So as far as time-travel romances, it's not one of my favorites, but it is still a good love story. In some ways, I think it might have been better strictly as historical romance.
Be warned! Massive ranting ahead!
<spoiler>
1. Like I said before, I hated her time-travel method. I don't quite get even how she time-traveled and the part I hate the absolute most is that she's in someone else's body. I just recently read a short story that had the same time-travel method, except that it was explained. I just find it disturbing and creepy, not to mention the amount of times it is said in the book how beautiful and perfect her looks are. Pretty nauseating. I just don't know how you could get used to looking in the mirror and not seeing yourself. That'd just be weird to me, even if I did happen to enter into a drop-dead gorgeous body. And Margaret acted like she was some freak of nature when she was in 1993. Boo hoo. Be happy with yourself for goodness sake! It seemed somewhat like the author was saying that you're not good enough if you're not beautiful. At least, that's the impression it gave to me.
2. It seemed to me that Ashton was infatuated with Mag. He couldn't have possibly actually loved her the way she was before Margaret entered her body, but he said he had. He really had to have fallen in love with Margaret, not Mag, and the blurriness there bothered me.
3. They're cousins. Okay so Margaret actually isn't, but the body she's in is. So what about children? Not a major point since cousins marrying isn't all that odd back then, but because of my other problems, it creeped me out more here.
4. Margaret's whole "revelation." She says now her parents and siblings never went to Cape Cod and are alive after all since they only went because of her and now she's back in time, and her parents only had two kids and not three. Umm no. If her parents never had her, then it would be impossible (yes, so is time-travel, but that's beside the point) for her to have gone back in time at all! She would have disappeared; she couldn't just be there now! Am I the only one who can see that?! Remember the photo featuring disappearing McFly's in Back to the Future? What comes around goes around. There's a few instances of that, but this is the one that bothers me most.
5. How did the papers show up? Seemed really unnecessary just to have Ashton believe her.
Had the back cover described how exactly Margaret time-traveled (like a mention of waking up in a strange body, perhaps?), maybe I wouldn't have had such a hard time with the concept and the other stuff wouldn't have bothered me as much. Who's to know?</spoiler> I promise, I'm really not crazy, even if my rants point to the contrary. I really think it could have been a great story, and I'm sure others will enjoy it, I just was left very disappointed.
Be warned! Massive ranting ahead!
<spoiler>
1. Like I said before, I hated her time-travel method. I don't quite get even how she time-traveled and the part I hate the absolute most is that she's in someone else's body. I just recently read a short story that had the same time-travel method, except that it was explained. I just find it disturbing and creepy, not to mention the amount of times it is said in the book how beautiful and perfect her looks are. Pretty nauseating. I just don't know how you could get used to looking in the mirror and not seeing yourself. That'd just be weird to me, even if I did happen to enter into a drop-dead gorgeous body. And Margaret acted like she was some freak of nature when she was in 1993. Boo hoo. Be happy with yourself for goodness sake! It seemed somewhat like the author was saying that you're not good enough if you're not beautiful. At least, that's the impression it gave to me.
2. It seemed to me that Ashton was infatuated with Mag. He couldn't have possibly actually loved her the way she was before Margaret entered her body, but he said he had. He really had to have fallen in love with Margaret, not Mag, and the blurriness there bothered me.
3. They're cousins. Okay so Margaret actually isn't, but the body she's in is. So what about children? Not a major point since cousins marrying isn't all that odd back then, but because of my other problems, it creeped me out more here.
4. Margaret's whole "revelation." She says now her parents and siblings never went to Cape Cod and are alive after all since they only went because of her and now she's back in time, and her parents only had two kids and not three. Umm no. If her parents never had her, then it would be impossible (yes, so is time-travel, but that's beside the point) for her to have gone back in time at all! She would have disappeared; she couldn't just be there now! Am I the only one who can see that?! Remember the photo featuring disappearing McFly's in Back to the Future? What comes around goes around. There's a few instances of that, but this is the one that bothers me most.
5. How did the papers show up? Seemed really unnecessary just to have Ashton believe her.
Had the back cover described how exactly Margaret time-traveled (like a mention of waking up in a strange body, perhaps?), maybe I wouldn't have had such a hard time with the concept and the other stuff wouldn't have bothered me as much. Who's to know?</spoiler> I promise, I'm really not crazy, even if my rants point to the contrary. I really think it could have been a great story, and I'm sure others will enjoy it, I just was left very disappointed.
Mothergamer (1568 KP) rated the PC version of Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag in Video Games
Apr 3, 2019
I have to say Ubisoft truly redeemed themselves in my eyes with Black Flag. It seems they truly listened to the feedback from fans and Assassin's Creed IV was their heartfelt apology and I gladly accept it. I just finished the game and I loved every minute of it.
A Pirate's Life For Me!
The protagonist Edward Kenway is a great character because he starts off brash and a bit arrogant, but as his adventure continues he evolves into a smarter and more subtle man with a good heart. There are many other fantastic characters including some well known pirates; and lots of adventures on the high seas and around the vast world of this game. The main story is excellent and Edward is complex and interesting; he actually shows emotions and you feel the passion and bravado coming from him. The people he befriends are also memorable along with some pretty diabolical villains which makes for a great story all around.
There are also some great naval battles and here is where I sing the praises of the controls for the ship. They are 100% better than Assassin's Creed III. The controls are easier to use and respond faster too. You can upgrade the Jackdaw (Edward Kenway's ship) with some pretty spiffy hull armor, sails, rigging, weapons and be one hell of a badass with your glorious ship. You can even do some pretty epic battles taking down forts and taking them over. These battles are actually FUN. I know I cackled gleefully in delight as I took down a pirate hunter man o'war battleship and followed it up with an epic battle taking over a fort. It was refreshing to be genuinely enjoying a game and just having a good time with it.
Epic battles at sea are the best!
The world of Assassin's Creed IV is massive; there's lots to see and do and plenty of areas to explore. Sail everywhere in the game because there are so many great things to find such as hidden Mayan temples, ship wrecks full of treasure, and much much more. There are plenty of side quests and side missions to do too and some of them add a bit more to the story of Edward and company. You can even upgrade the various towns and even find new sea shanties for your crew to sing while you're on your adventures. And of course there's the downloadable content and multiplayer to add even more things for you to enjoy in the game.
Discovering new locations like this one is grand!
You do have your time in the real world too with our old friends Abstergo of course, and this aspect while brief is also quite fascinating because you can learn some pivotal plot points about characters from the previous game and run into a few familiar faces as well. I was a little thrown off that it was in first person mode, but the camera was very steady and it's only for a short time; so my vertigo didn't kick in thankfully. There are some brilliant plot reveals too in the real world scenes and there are some mini games here where you can unlock some item trophies and more information for your Animus database.
Remember these jerks? Oh yeah, they're still around.
After finishing it, you can continue the game finishing up any side quests you missed or unlocking achievements with the various mission goals. Overall, Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag is not just an amazing game; it's a great time for anyone who loves the series and enjoys an honest to goodness game about pirates, assassins, and tons of incredible adventures. I know I will be playing through it again because it was that much fun for me. If you haven't picked it up yet, what are you waiting for? There's adventure and glory to be had!
A Pirate's Life For Me!
The protagonist Edward Kenway is a great character because he starts off brash and a bit arrogant, but as his adventure continues he evolves into a smarter and more subtle man with a good heart. There are many other fantastic characters including some well known pirates; and lots of adventures on the high seas and around the vast world of this game. The main story is excellent and Edward is complex and interesting; he actually shows emotions and you feel the passion and bravado coming from him. The people he befriends are also memorable along with some pretty diabolical villains which makes for a great story all around.
There are also some great naval battles and here is where I sing the praises of the controls for the ship. They are 100% better than Assassin's Creed III. The controls are easier to use and respond faster too. You can upgrade the Jackdaw (Edward Kenway's ship) with some pretty spiffy hull armor, sails, rigging, weapons and be one hell of a badass with your glorious ship. You can even do some pretty epic battles taking down forts and taking them over. These battles are actually FUN. I know I cackled gleefully in delight as I took down a pirate hunter man o'war battleship and followed it up with an epic battle taking over a fort. It was refreshing to be genuinely enjoying a game and just having a good time with it.
Epic battles at sea are the best!
The world of Assassin's Creed IV is massive; there's lots to see and do and plenty of areas to explore. Sail everywhere in the game because there are so many great things to find such as hidden Mayan temples, ship wrecks full of treasure, and much much more. There are plenty of side quests and side missions to do too and some of them add a bit more to the story of Edward and company. You can even upgrade the various towns and even find new sea shanties for your crew to sing while you're on your adventures. And of course there's the downloadable content and multiplayer to add even more things for you to enjoy in the game.
Discovering new locations like this one is grand!
You do have your time in the real world too with our old friends Abstergo of course, and this aspect while brief is also quite fascinating because you can learn some pivotal plot points about characters from the previous game and run into a few familiar faces as well. I was a little thrown off that it was in first person mode, but the camera was very steady and it's only for a short time; so my vertigo didn't kick in thankfully. There are some brilliant plot reveals too in the real world scenes and there are some mini games here where you can unlock some item trophies and more information for your Animus database.
Remember these jerks? Oh yeah, they're still around.
After finishing it, you can continue the game finishing up any side quests you missed or unlocking achievements with the various mission goals. Overall, Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag is not just an amazing game; it's a great time for anyone who loves the series and enjoys an honest to goodness game about pirates, assassins, and tons of incredible adventures. I know I will be playing through it again because it was that much fun for me. If you haven't picked it up yet, what are you waiting for? There's adventure and glory to be had!
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Pompeii (2014) in Movies
Jun 11, 2019
The disaster movie has always been a genre guaranteed to create incredible box-office returns. If you look at Roland Emmerich’s impressive blockbuster hit 2012, which grossed over $750million, it is clear that destroying well-known landmarks = bums on seats.
However since 2012‘s 2009 release the genre has fallen into a dormant state. Nevertheless, four years later Paul W.S. Anderson attempts to reawaken this box-office behemoth with his take on the tragic true events at Pompeii, but does the film succeed in its task?
Partially is the short answer. Anderson’s first film since 2012’s disaster Resident Evil: Retribution is as cheesy as a Dairylea triangle, but it also has some stunning special effects to give it some life.
Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington stars as Milo, a slave captured by the Romans after they wiped out his entire family. He is taken to a gloriously recreated Pompeii and immediately sets his sights on the very beautiful Lady Cassia, played by a rather dull Emily Browning, who just so happens to be the daughter of the city ruler, Severus. I’m sure you can guess the plot…
What ensues is a cheesy mess of terrible acting and stilted dialogue that jars with the period nature of the film. Only the knowing of what is to come from Mt Vesuvius, which is beautifully rendered in CGI, stops the film from grinding to a halt.
Kiefer Sutherland dons a downright ridiculous English accent for the role of Senator Corvus, the chief antagonist in the film. He is on business in Pompeii to see if trade can be established and investment can be agreed with the great city of Rome – though this plot point gets lost along the way.
Another issue is the true story which Pompeii is based on. The great tale of tragedy and mother nature showing her ruthless side is one we all know – but all we really want to see is the mountain going boom. Unfortunately we must wait whilst Anderson tries his best to make us care about the characters with their sickly back-stories, for which he fails in breathtaking fashion.
Finally after nearly an hour of what feels like a poor-mans Gladiator we are treat to a stunning spectacle, as Mt Vesuvius explodes in rip-roaring style. As the mountain blows and the fireballs rage Anderson once again tries to get us interested in the paper-thin story, thankfully not pushing too hard this time, and he lets the special effects take over.
Historical accuracy is, surprisingly, very good. According to the director, Pompeii was faithfully recreated for the film with aerial shots of the city as it stands today topped up with CGI to show the thriving metropolis we see in the film.
Unfortunately, scientific accuracy takes a back-seat for the sake of high drama, which is the case with many films of this nature. The iconic pyroclastic flow, attributed to killing the majority of Pompeii’s inhabitants due to its huge speed and massive temperatures is slowed right down to ensure the film can last another ten minutes or so – though this is perhaps to be expected.
Overall, Paul W.S. Anderson has created a film which certainly looks the part, but is lacking in so many other areas. Kiefer Sutherland’s villain is completely upstaged by the constant shots of the volcano, which are almost pantomime like in their ‘it’s behind you’ staging, and the rest of the cast are wooden and not particularly likeable.
However, what it lacks in story and acting finesse it makes up in the beautiful special effects and engaging cinematography. It’s worth a watch just to see Pompeii get obliterated – which is probably not a very nice thing to say at all.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2014/05/03/pompeii-3d-review/
However since 2012‘s 2009 release the genre has fallen into a dormant state. Nevertheless, four years later Paul W.S. Anderson attempts to reawaken this box-office behemoth with his take on the tragic true events at Pompeii, but does the film succeed in its task?
Partially is the short answer. Anderson’s first film since 2012’s disaster Resident Evil: Retribution is as cheesy as a Dairylea triangle, but it also has some stunning special effects to give it some life.
Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington stars as Milo, a slave captured by the Romans after they wiped out his entire family. He is taken to a gloriously recreated Pompeii and immediately sets his sights on the very beautiful Lady Cassia, played by a rather dull Emily Browning, who just so happens to be the daughter of the city ruler, Severus. I’m sure you can guess the plot…
What ensues is a cheesy mess of terrible acting and stilted dialogue that jars with the period nature of the film. Only the knowing of what is to come from Mt Vesuvius, which is beautifully rendered in CGI, stops the film from grinding to a halt.
Kiefer Sutherland dons a downright ridiculous English accent for the role of Senator Corvus, the chief antagonist in the film. He is on business in Pompeii to see if trade can be established and investment can be agreed with the great city of Rome – though this plot point gets lost along the way.
Another issue is the true story which Pompeii is based on. The great tale of tragedy and mother nature showing her ruthless side is one we all know – but all we really want to see is the mountain going boom. Unfortunately we must wait whilst Anderson tries his best to make us care about the characters with their sickly back-stories, for which he fails in breathtaking fashion.
Finally after nearly an hour of what feels like a poor-mans Gladiator we are treat to a stunning spectacle, as Mt Vesuvius explodes in rip-roaring style. As the mountain blows and the fireballs rage Anderson once again tries to get us interested in the paper-thin story, thankfully not pushing too hard this time, and he lets the special effects take over.
Historical accuracy is, surprisingly, very good. According to the director, Pompeii was faithfully recreated for the film with aerial shots of the city as it stands today topped up with CGI to show the thriving metropolis we see in the film.
Unfortunately, scientific accuracy takes a back-seat for the sake of high drama, which is the case with many films of this nature. The iconic pyroclastic flow, attributed to killing the majority of Pompeii’s inhabitants due to its huge speed and massive temperatures is slowed right down to ensure the film can last another ten minutes or so – though this is perhaps to be expected.
Overall, Paul W.S. Anderson has created a film which certainly looks the part, but is lacking in so many other areas. Kiefer Sutherland’s villain is completely upstaged by the constant shots of the volcano, which are almost pantomime like in their ‘it’s behind you’ staging, and the rest of the cast are wooden and not particularly likeable.
However, what it lacks in story and acting finesse it makes up in the beautiful special effects and engaging cinematography. It’s worth a watch just to see Pompeii get obliterated – which is probably not a very nice thing to say at all.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2014/05/03/pompeii-3d-review/
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Making Waves (League of 7, #1) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
As a first erotic novel, I believe this was a great choice. I bought this book years ago when I was still young and terrified about my parents finding out. I was just a freshman in high school looking for something that normal romance novels couldnt give me. I was so tired of all the sugary innuendoes. If I am going to read about people having sex, I want clear descriptions about what is going on or nothing at all. Innuendoes that compare a ladys part to food just grosses me out; and comparing an orgasm to an explosion of stars is just silly. Of course, I thought all this before I lost my
virginity at the ripe old age of 19 (yay for beating teen pregnancy?) And, I still think this today.
But I digress. This book is actually an anthology of two stories by different authors, both stories water related. Thus, the title.
The first story is titled Liquid Dreams by Cathryn Fox. From the very first page, Fox jumps right into the sex. When I first read it, I felt so scandalous that I knew my cheeks were red from embarrassment. Now, looking back, I realize how silly I was considering I have read much more graphic scenes since. Liquid Dreams does not want of sex scene. In fact, I am pretty sure that 85% of the novel is about the main characters partaking in foreplay. Another 10% is devoted to sex.
The plot consists of a young woman, Katrina, who keeps having dreams about a man that comes to her out of the sea. He pleases her, she pleases him. And then, by swallowing his semen, she starts regaining memories from a past life. Eventually, she figures out that the man, Ranek, is her lover from that. She also gradually realizes that she has been horribly miserable with her life because it is not her true life. The only problem is Raneks brother is hell-bent on seeing them both suffer.
A pretty straight forward plot with no twists or surprises and plenty of steamy sex scenes to call it erotic. The only problem I had with this novel was the way she covered her memories. Everything else was pretty believable for a fantasy erotic novel except that. In fact, it was pretty weird.
The second novel is called Dolphins Playground by Jaci Burton. At first, I was a little hesitant to read it just because of the title, but I sucked it up and read on. Unlike Fox, Burton is more about the plot-line than sex. This short story is about a marine biologist, Jasmine, who would rather spend her time with dolphins than people, especially her big wig boss who cares more about than living things. When she finds some sick dolphins, she decides to take them in much to the chagrin of her soon to be lover, Triton. Triton just so happens to be able to turn into a dolphin and is able to communicate with them. In fact, the dolphins that are now in Jasmines custody actually belong to Triton, who is also trying to find a cure with the diseased dolphins.
Since he cant get the dolphins out of the facility, Triton decides to use it, and Jasmine, to his advantage in his search for the cure. They, of course, hook up during this search and do end up having a happy ending.
The writing was pretty simple in terms of vocabulary and biology terms. However, I really enjoyed Triton and Jasmines witty banter and that the you could cut the sexual tension between them with a knife. It was the characters that made this story, honestly.
virginity at the ripe old age of 19 (yay for beating teen pregnancy?) And, I still think this today.
But I digress. This book is actually an anthology of two stories by different authors, both stories water related. Thus, the title.
The first story is titled Liquid Dreams by Cathryn Fox. From the very first page, Fox jumps right into the sex. When I first read it, I felt so scandalous that I knew my cheeks were red from embarrassment. Now, looking back, I realize how silly I was considering I have read much more graphic scenes since. Liquid Dreams does not want of sex scene. In fact, I am pretty sure that 85% of the novel is about the main characters partaking in foreplay. Another 10% is devoted to sex.
The plot consists of a young woman, Katrina, who keeps having dreams about a man that comes to her out of the sea. He pleases her, she pleases him. And then, by swallowing his semen, she starts regaining memories from a past life. Eventually, she figures out that the man, Ranek, is her lover from that. She also gradually realizes that she has been horribly miserable with her life because it is not her true life. The only problem is Raneks brother is hell-bent on seeing them both suffer.
A pretty straight forward plot with no twists or surprises and plenty of steamy sex scenes to call it erotic. The only problem I had with this novel was the way she covered her memories. Everything else was pretty believable for a fantasy erotic novel except that. In fact, it was pretty weird.
The second novel is called Dolphins Playground by Jaci Burton. At first, I was a little hesitant to read it just because of the title, but I sucked it up and read on. Unlike Fox, Burton is more about the plot-line than sex. This short story is about a marine biologist, Jasmine, who would rather spend her time with dolphins than people, especially her big wig boss who cares more about than living things. When she finds some sick dolphins, she decides to take them in much to the chagrin of her soon to be lover, Triton. Triton just so happens to be able to turn into a dolphin and is able to communicate with them. In fact, the dolphins that are now in Jasmines custody actually belong to Triton, who is also trying to find a cure with the diseased dolphins.
Since he cant get the dolphins out of the facility, Triton decides to use it, and Jasmine, to his advantage in his search for the cure. They, of course, hook up during this search and do end up having a happy ending.
The writing was pretty simple in terms of vocabulary and biology terms. However, I really enjoyed Triton and Jasmines witty banter and that the you could cut the sexual tension between them with a knife. It was the characters that made this story, honestly.
<a href="http://fuzzysparrow.tumblr.com/post/101435382283/review">October 2014 Book of the Month</a>
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
It has been over twenty years since Lois Lowry’s controversial children’s story <i>The Giver</i> was published and it certainly deserves its status as an essential modern classic. Jonas has grown up in the perfect world of the Community whose survival relies on strict rules and rituals. Adults are assigned spouses and children (one boy and one girl) as they take up their role within the society. At the beginning of the book Jonas is approaching then end of his eleventh year and feeling apprehensive about the Ceremony of Twelve where he will be assigned a job for him to do for the rest of his adult life. Jonas gets selected as the Receiver of Memory – a very rare position – and begins to experience memories from humans who lived a long time ago. For Jonas this is exciting until he begins to see the flaws in his perfect world.
Dystopian literature has become popular over the past few years and it would not be surprising if it were <i>The Giver</i> that inspired these contemporary works. Lowry claims that she did not intend for The Giver to have a sinister feel about it; she was writing an adventure story and exploring the concept of the importance of memory, but it turned out to be something much more thought provoking. As the children’s novelist Margaret Mahy (<i>The Haunting</i>) pointed out, up until the publication of this novel in 1993 Lowry was best known for her funny stories about Anastasia Krupnik resulting in <i>The Giver</i> being even more shocking and unexpected.
<i>The Giver</i> highlights that attempting to produce perfection can often result in the loss of good things as well as the bad. The notion of the ideal world may seem like a wonderful proposal, but in order to achieve it humans would have to do away with free choice as in ironing out the inequalities and injustices of the present world would result in everything becoming the same for each individual.
This is a difficult concept to grasp, particularly for a child. Although intended as a children’s series, <i>The Giver</i> and its following installments are more suitable for young adults and older. The only issue with this is that the writing style was target at a younger audience meaning that the overall story is short and lacks depth. If it were to have been written for older readers then there would have been the scope for it to become a much lengthier novel.
There are a lot of mixed reviews surrounding this book although they have changed greatly since the original publication. To begin with <i>The Giver</i> was banned in some areas however the dystopian theme has become accepted in today’s society. What many people comment on now is the oversimplification of such strong ideas. Then again, as already mentioned, it needs to be emphasized that this book was aimed at children, thus the language reflects the reading skills of its target audience.
<i>The Giver</i> is a gem of a book that not only is enjoyable but also can educate the reader on the dangers of attempting a utopian society and why it is important to retain human memories – even the bad – in order that wisdom can exist. Those who have become fans of contemporary dystopian novels, for example <i>Divergent</i> by Veronica Roth or <i>Delirium</i> by Lauren Oliver, will be sure to love this series.
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
It has been over twenty years since Lois Lowry’s controversial children’s story <i>The Giver</i> was published and it certainly deserves its status as an essential modern classic. Jonas has grown up in the perfect world of the Community whose survival relies on strict rules and rituals. Adults are assigned spouses and children (one boy and one girl) as they take up their role within the society. At the beginning of the book Jonas is approaching then end of his eleventh year and feeling apprehensive about the Ceremony of Twelve where he will be assigned a job for him to do for the rest of his adult life. Jonas gets selected as the Receiver of Memory – a very rare position – and begins to experience memories from humans who lived a long time ago. For Jonas this is exciting until he begins to see the flaws in his perfect world.
Dystopian literature has become popular over the past few years and it would not be surprising if it were <i>The Giver</i> that inspired these contemporary works. Lowry claims that she did not intend for The Giver to have a sinister feel about it; she was writing an adventure story and exploring the concept of the importance of memory, but it turned out to be something much more thought provoking. As the children’s novelist Margaret Mahy (<i>The Haunting</i>) pointed out, up until the publication of this novel in 1993 Lowry was best known for her funny stories about Anastasia Krupnik resulting in <i>The Giver</i> being even more shocking and unexpected.
<i>The Giver</i> highlights that attempting to produce perfection can often result in the loss of good things as well as the bad. The notion of the ideal world may seem like a wonderful proposal, but in order to achieve it humans would have to do away with free choice as in ironing out the inequalities and injustices of the present world would result in everything becoming the same for each individual.
This is a difficult concept to grasp, particularly for a child. Although intended as a children’s series, <i>The Giver</i> and its following installments are more suitable for young adults and older. The only issue with this is that the writing style was target at a younger audience meaning that the overall story is short and lacks depth. If it were to have been written for older readers then there would have been the scope for it to become a much lengthier novel.
There are a lot of mixed reviews surrounding this book although they have changed greatly since the original publication. To begin with <i>The Giver</i> was banned in some areas however the dystopian theme has become accepted in today’s society. What many people comment on now is the oversimplification of such strong ideas. Then again, as already mentioned, it needs to be emphasized that this book was aimed at children, thus the language reflects the reading skills of its target audience.
<i>The Giver</i> is a gem of a book that not only is enjoyable but also can educate the reader on the dangers of attempting a utopian society and why it is important to retain human memories – even the bad – in order that wisdom can exist. Those who have become fans of contemporary dystopian novels, for example <i>Divergent</i> by Veronica Roth or <i>Delirium</i> by Lauren Oliver, will be sure to love this series.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Cryptid in Books
Jul 10, 2018
Cryptid by Michael Kott is the second book of these series. It is a sequel to the Piasa, and you can find my review on that here. I have to admit and say that I didn’t enjoy Cryptid as much as I would like to, and you’ll find out why soon.
About the book:
Cryptid continues to tell the story of Sara, a girl that survives a car accident, when all her family dies. While in the first book she meets Mike, who gets her a job as his assistant in his adventures, in this book we will see Sara still maintaining that position, but a little bit from the background. When a few cats that look like leopards will appear at the museum, people start to get scared, and the police wants to shoot the animals. Then Mike and the team come to the rescue, to try and identify what the cats are, and save them from dying.
Review:
In Cryptid, we will be introduced to a couple new characters, some of which I happened to be very fond of (Hi Xenia!). The good thing for me was, that I could get a bit of a break from all the Sara moments. The thing I didn’t like was the fact that their background was too short and untold, and they kept making decisions based on the past that we didn’t know (I will mention Shannon’s decision here).
My favourite moments of the book, were, of course, those where Sara wasn’t there. Followed by my previous review of the Piasa, I sometimes like the character of Sara. But I also couldn’t agree with her. I couldn’t understand her character, behaviour and decisions. Maybe it is because of my own childhood. I mean, luckily, I haven’t lost any of my family, but I have lived without both parents in those crucial years, raised by grandparents, while having a little sister to look after, and having an aunt similar to Pamela to guide me through my worst. But I was never this arrogant, self-centered and desperate for ME-ME-ME attention like Sara. Whoa, that lady really can push my limits sometimes.
The same goes with everyone around Sara that constantly tries to please her, and make sure she’s not upset.
And what is the reason that all of the characters are losing their shoes somewhere?
Unlike Piasa, in this book the focus is only on one big event, at two main places – the park and the museum. Apart from a few places in the introduction, the whole story keeps us around these places, which I particularly didn’t mind, but some people may or may not find it boring.
I was a bit sad because I really like Mike, and he wasn’t as present with his story as his was in the other book. I expected to see and learn a bit more of him.
Not to be all negative though, there were a few moments that I really enjoyed! I loved to read about the sisterhood of Pamela and Xenia, and the beginning of the book was fantastic. Xenia is also such an incredible character, and I really admired her. I also loved the explanations on the different kinds of cats and their latin names and meanings.
All in all, I am a bit sad to say that this will be a 3 out of 5 stars. Especially because the author, Michael Kott, is a dear friend of mine, and I greatly enjoyed the Piasa. I may have expected a bit too much of this book, that left me disappointed. But I do believe that some of you might greatly enjoy it! If you like Young-Adult fiction, and stories about mystery animals and cryptids, you will definitely enjoy this book!
Thank you Mike, for sending me a copy of the Cryptid, in exchange for an honest review.
About the book:
Cryptid continues to tell the story of Sara, a girl that survives a car accident, when all her family dies. While in the first book she meets Mike, who gets her a job as his assistant in his adventures, in this book we will see Sara still maintaining that position, but a little bit from the background. When a few cats that look like leopards will appear at the museum, people start to get scared, and the police wants to shoot the animals. Then Mike and the team come to the rescue, to try and identify what the cats are, and save them from dying.
Review:
In Cryptid, we will be introduced to a couple new characters, some of which I happened to be very fond of (Hi Xenia!). The good thing for me was, that I could get a bit of a break from all the Sara moments. The thing I didn’t like was the fact that their background was too short and untold, and they kept making decisions based on the past that we didn’t know (I will mention Shannon’s decision here).
My favourite moments of the book, were, of course, those where Sara wasn’t there. Followed by my previous review of the Piasa, I sometimes like the character of Sara. But I also couldn’t agree with her. I couldn’t understand her character, behaviour and decisions. Maybe it is because of my own childhood. I mean, luckily, I haven’t lost any of my family, but I have lived without both parents in those crucial years, raised by grandparents, while having a little sister to look after, and having an aunt similar to Pamela to guide me through my worst. But I was never this arrogant, self-centered and desperate for ME-ME-ME attention like Sara. Whoa, that lady really can push my limits sometimes.
The same goes with everyone around Sara that constantly tries to please her, and make sure she’s not upset.
And what is the reason that all of the characters are losing their shoes somewhere?
Unlike Piasa, in this book the focus is only on one big event, at two main places – the park and the museum. Apart from a few places in the introduction, the whole story keeps us around these places, which I particularly didn’t mind, but some people may or may not find it boring.
I was a bit sad because I really like Mike, and he wasn’t as present with his story as his was in the other book. I expected to see and learn a bit more of him.
Not to be all negative though, there were a few moments that I really enjoyed! I loved to read about the sisterhood of Pamela and Xenia, and the beginning of the book was fantastic. Xenia is also such an incredible character, and I really admired her. I also loved the explanations on the different kinds of cats and their latin names and meanings.
All in all, I am a bit sad to say that this will be a 3 out of 5 stars. Especially because the author, Michael Kott, is a dear friend of mine, and I greatly enjoyed the Piasa. I may have expected a bit too much of this book, that left me disappointed. But I do believe that some of you might greatly enjoy it! If you like Young-Adult fiction, and stories about mystery animals and cryptids, you will definitely enjoy this book!
Thank you Mike, for sending me a copy of the Cryptid, in exchange for an honest review.
postapocalypticplayground (27 KP) rated Heart of Thorns (Heart of Thorns #1) in Books
Aug 13, 2018
Firstly, I did enjoy Heart of Thorns, I found it an easy going read with lots going on and some twists I genuinely didn't see coming. Whilst Mia is the MC, I have to say that Quin does actually steal the show. As far as character development goes his transformation from formal and unemotional prince to what he becomes is a real joy to read with so many facets of his personality. I liked the way that the history of the world we find ourselves in is laid out conversationally rather than in one big chunk. The journey Mia and Quin find themselves on is long and for the most part without peril so it's the perfect way to fill the time. Given Quin's sheltered upbringing at the castle it's not so far fetched that given his fathers fears, he would know very little of the surrounding lands. Mia does struggle to get out her one dimension though, which I don't know if is by design to explain things later on or whether she simply needed a bit more breathing room and perhaps a different focus from time to time. Things really felt like she was too transfixed on righting the wrongs of the past to focus upon the present dangers.
The book also raises a lot about feminism, I have to say that it take a while to get to this point and to start I felt it was yet again another misrepresentation that Fighter = Feminist but thankfully all that changed. It makes much of the differences in society between men and women and how women need to fight to be anything but a pair of legs that needed to open. The origins of the magic within the story are really quite heartbreaking and born out of a necessity for self preservation which naturally becomes misrepresented and skewed over time to make magic a true evil which is feared by men. There is an element of the macabre in the King's fascination with the slaughter of those with magic and his trophy room will have your stomach clenching.
This book does misdirection well and it's all the more easier to achieve with a large supporting cast. I genuinely was left with a number of WTF moments as the story went on, I had to re-read a few pages just to confirm that the twist was as awesome as it was and this book has them in spades towards the end.
However, all this needs to be offset by some things that made it fall just short for me. It's clear that Mia has studied medicine, but her overly complex use of medical descriptions of bodily parts is unnecessary and makes for jarring reading "She dug her fingertips into the bridge of her nose. 'The sphenoid bone. It's like my whole cerebrum is on fire." Why not just say she had a headache? It's also mega tropey - I don't as a rule mind tropes in books, they exist for a reason but this book turned out so many including the ever present MC as a huntress with the sister who dreamed of marrying a nice prince, that I found my eyes rolling. There is also a lot of tick boxing going on in respect of LGBT diversity, there was a neon sign for one character as if the author was labouring the point - the disappointing thing is that this element did fit organically into the story in a really beautiful yet heartbreaking way at a later time which made me feel that the earlier depiction was somewhat unnecessary.
Whilst there are some failings, this is an enjoyable read with plenty of magic, mystery, and misdirection and if you are in the mood for an adventure you will hopefully enjoy Heart of Thorns
3*
The book also raises a lot about feminism, I have to say that it take a while to get to this point and to start I felt it was yet again another misrepresentation that Fighter = Feminist but thankfully all that changed. It makes much of the differences in society between men and women and how women need to fight to be anything but a pair of legs that needed to open. The origins of the magic within the story are really quite heartbreaking and born out of a necessity for self preservation which naturally becomes misrepresented and skewed over time to make magic a true evil which is feared by men. There is an element of the macabre in the King's fascination with the slaughter of those with magic and his trophy room will have your stomach clenching.
This book does misdirection well and it's all the more easier to achieve with a large supporting cast. I genuinely was left with a number of WTF moments as the story went on, I had to re-read a few pages just to confirm that the twist was as awesome as it was and this book has them in spades towards the end.
However, all this needs to be offset by some things that made it fall just short for me. It's clear that Mia has studied medicine, but her overly complex use of medical descriptions of bodily parts is unnecessary and makes for jarring reading "She dug her fingertips into the bridge of her nose. 'The sphenoid bone. It's like my whole cerebrum is on fire." Why not just say she had a headache? It's also mega tropey - I don't as a rule mind tropes in books, they exist for a reason but this book turned out so many including the ever present MC as a huntress with the sister who dreamed of marrying a nice prince, that I found my eyes rolling. There is also a lot of tick boxing going on in respect of LGBT diversity, there was a neon sign for one character as if the author was labouring the point - the disappointing thing is that this element did fit organically into the story in a really beautiful yet heartbreaking way at a later time which made me feel that the earlier depiction was somewhat unnecessary.
Whilst there are some failings, this is an enjoyable read with plenty of magic, mystery, and misdirection and if you are in the mood for an adventure you will hopefully enjoy Heart of Thorns
3*