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Venator (Roman Equestrian #1)
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Britannia, AD 59. Decimus is a long-serving senior centurion who dreams of retirement in Rome....
Historical Fiction Ancient Rome Ancient Britain
Merissa (11961 KP) rated Light & Kingdom (Royal & Piper #2) in Books
Jan 29, 2024
LIGHT & KINGDOM is the second book in the Royal & Piper series and carries on from Book 1, so you really need to read that one first.
Quirin and Cal are on the run from Evalena and intent on reaching Quirin's old homeland where he is sure she will get help. The only problem is that to do this, they need to travel over the top of a mountain, which people stay away from for fear of death.
What a book! Quirin and Cal become closer in this book as they deal with things outside of the extraordinary. They are alone and have to rely upon each other for survival, as well as seeing wondrous sights.
I loved this story and the finale was fantastic! I honestly can't wait to continue with this story. It is rich in detail and intrigue, bringing the story to life as you turn the pages. Absolutely brilliant and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 26, 2024
Quirin and Cal are on the run from Evalena and intent on reaching Quirin's old homeland where he is sure she will get help. The only problem is that to do this, they need to travel over the top of a mountain, which people stay away from for fear of death.
What a book! Quirin and Cal become closer in this book as they deal with things outside of the extraordinary. They are alone and have to rely upon each other for survival, as well as seeing wondrous sights.
I loved this story and the finale was fantastic! I honestly can't wait to continue with this story. It is rich in detail and intrigue, bringing the story to life as you turn the pages. Absolutely brilliant and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 26, 2024
Story: 51 starts when the government are finally going to let people into Area 51 for the first time with Sam Whitaker (Shea) and new blogger Claire (Branch). Colonel Martin (Boxleitner) is showing the guests around the base with the idea of showing just the simple ones rather than the real secrets.
With the tour happening around the base we see how the aliens held there start their own escape. The tour group must work together to survive while the soldiers on the outside also have to deal with the aliens coming up the levels.
51 is a horror sci-fi film set inside Area 51, we actually get to see the idea that aliens have been trapped there for decades and most importantly we get to see different types of aliens. This helps play into the conspiracy side to the story very well. When it comes to the survival side of the story there isn’t too much fresh happening here but it does make you wonder what abilities each of these aliens actually has while the film unfolds.
Actor Review
Vanessa Branch: Claire is an internet reporter with a reputation of pushing the limits to make sure she breaks the story, she isn’t one of the Colonel’s first choices to be part of the tour but while she is here she will look to break the big story. Vanessa is a solid strong leading lady for this horror film.
Bruce Boxleitner: Col Martin is the man who has to lead the tour group around Area 51, he doesn’t like the idea and will try to make this the simplest tour possible giving away only small amounts of details. Bruce comes off like a normal colonel you would expect to see in thi style of film.
Rachel Miner: Sgt Hanna is on the outside guarding the base she leads the men while having her own troubled past and reputation to live up to. Rachel is solid in this role which feels like a completely different story to the main tour.
Jason London: Aaron ‘Shoes’ Schumacher is a rookie soldier that is under the wing of Sgt Hanna, he wants to see combat but has to deal with not having this chance for now. Jason is solid in this role where we do get a few extra laugh from this film.
Support Cast: 51 has a supporting cast which includes different of soldiers as well as the fellow reporters, each one comes off slightly disposable through the story.
Director Review: Jason Connery – Jason gives us a horror that has fresh twists while being the standard survival thriller.
Horror: 51 is filled with blood soaked kills throughout the survival horror side of the story.
Sci-Fi: 51 takes us to Area 51 with aliens trying to escape their prisons which heaps all of the sci-fi side of the story involved.
Settings: 51 is set at Area 51 for the whole film which plays into the conspiracy side of the story.
Special Effects: 51 has low budget effects which work once we see the aliens made with practical effects.
Suggestion: 51 is one I feel the horror fans out there can watch late night on TV and get the enjoyment out of it. (Late Night TV)
Best Part: Different types of aliens involved.
Worst Part: Hanna and Shoes storyline seems out of place and almost talking to audience early on.
Believability: No
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Budget: $1 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Tagline: The military’s best-kept secret just broke loose.
Overall: Simple but enjoyable sci-fi horror film.
https://moviesreview101.com/2016/11/04/movie-reviews-101-midnight-horror-51-2011/
With the tour happening around the base we see how the aliens held there start their own escape. The tour group must work together to survive while the soldiers on the outside also have to deal with the aliens coming up the levels.
51 is a horror sci-fi film set inside Area 51, we actually get to see the idea that aliens have been trapped there for decades and most importantly we get to see different types of aliens. This helps play into the conspiracy side to the story very well. When it comes to the survival side of the story there isn’t too much fresh happening here but it does make you wonder what abilities each of these aliens actually has while the film unfolds.
Actor Review
Vanessa Branch: Claire is an internet reporter with a reputation of pushing the limits to make sure she breaks the story, she isn’t one of the Colonel’s first choices to be part of the tour but while she is here she will look to break the big story. Vanessa is a solid strong leading lady for this horror film.
Bruce Boxleitner: Col Martin is the man who has to lead the tour group around Area 51, he doesn’t like the idea and will try to make this the simplest tour possible giving away only small amounts of details. Bruce comes off like a normal colonel you would expect to see in thi style of film.
Rachel Miner: Sgt Hanna is on the outside guarding the base she leads the men while having her own troubled past and reputation to live up to. Rachel is solid in this role which feels like a completely different story to the main tour.
Jason London: Aaron ‘Shoes’ Schumacher is a rookie soldier that is under the wing of Sgt Hanna, he wants to see combat but has to deal with not having this chance for now. Jason is solid in this role where we do get a few extra laugh from this film.
Support Cast: 51 has a supporting cast which includes different of soldiers as well as the fellow reporters, each one comes off slightly disposable through the story.
Director Review: Jason Connery – Jason gives us a horror that has fresh twists while being the standard survival thriller.
Horror: 51 is filled with blood soaked kills throughout the survival horror side of the story.
Sci-Fi: 51 takes us to Area 51 with aliens trying to escape their prisons which heaps all of the sci-fi side of the story involved.
Settings: 51 is set at Area 51 for the whole film which plays into the conspiracy side of the story.
Special Effects: 51 has low budget effects which work once we see the aliens made with practical effects.
Suggestion: 51 is one I feel the horror fans out there can watch late night on TV and get the enjoyment out of it. (Late Night TV)
Best Part: Different types of aliens involved.
Worst Part: Hanna and Shoes storyline seems out of place and almost talking to audience early on.
Believability: No
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Budget: $1 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Tagline: The military’s best-kept secret just broke loose.
Overall: Simple but enjoyable sci-fi horror film.
https://moviesreview101.com/2016/11/04/movie-reviews-101-midnight-horror-51-2011/
Secret Agents Spy Mission 3D -Covert Escape Action
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A fierce police vs secret agent and mafia vs crime swat spy mission game where kill or to be killed...
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Romanov in Books
Jun 6, 2019
^^ The Romanovs are an ancient family of vampires, to which Anna belongs, but after the death of her father, they are now in hiding for their own protection. When she meets a lad, Eric, college student and human, their bond is so strong they fall in love hard. Yes, it’s literally love at first sight. But unbeknown to Eric, danger is close, always watching and threatening to pounce from the shadows. Can Anna protect the ones she loves, when someone or something is out to eradicate the Romanov family and all those that stand in their way?
^^ This is written from different points of view, which allows us to see this intriguing story from several angles. At the end of every chapter there’s a sense of something lurking in the shadows, watching, following, and it could attack at any time. Whilst this added to the suspense and made for great foreshadowing, it was drawn out over a lot of pages, and felt a little repetitive at times.
^^ What I loved about this was the ‘new adult’ romance theme of which gave way to a large proportion of this book. With danger lurking around every corner, Anna soon discovers that she had to look out for not only her own family, but protect her beau, Eric, too. There is also an unusual shape-shifting, supernatural element to this tale, both of which I found added different levels to this modern vampire story. It’s not all as straightforward, as it might – at first – seem.
^^ This story feels like the beginning of a much larger tale, since we are introduced to a lot of characters and different families, all living their lives as they know how. It reminded me of a soap opera, where we watch the lives of many families unravel before our very eyes. An unknown danger is making every effort to thwart the Romanov’s survival, but is Anna strong enough to overcome this evil?
Overall: Samaire Provost has created an atmospheric vampire story with a difference, in that the creatures within are not your standard monsters and their world consists of different rules and ideals. That alone is quite refreshing in this vampire story. Saying that, this is not just a book about vampires, it’s about families, feuds, survival of the fittest and how far you’d go to protect the ones you love. I found it an enjoyable, clever read and it should appeal to readers of vampire fiction who like something a little different from the norm.
^^ This is written from different points of view, which allows us to see this intriguing story from several angles. At the end of every chapter there’s a sense of something lurking in the shadows, watching, following, and it could attack at any time. Whilst this added to the suspense and made for great foreshadowing, it was drawn out over a lot of pages, and felt a little repetitive at times.
^^ What I loved about this was the ‘new adult’ romance theme of which gave way to a large proportion of this book. With danger lurking around every corner, Anna soon discovers that she had to look out for not only her own family, but protect her beau, Eric, too. There is also an unusual shape-shifting, supernatural element to this tale, both of which I found added different levels to this modern vampire story. It’s not all as straightforward, as it might – at first – seem.
^^ This story feels like the beginning of a much larger tale, since we are introduced to a lot of characters and different families, all living their lives as they know how. It reminded me of a soap opera, where we watch the lives of many families unravel before our very eyes. An unknown danger is making every effort to thwart the Romanov’s survival, but is Anna strong enough to overcome this evil?
Overall: Samaire Provost has created an atmospheric vampire story with a difference, in that the creatures within are not your standard monsters and their world consists of different rules and ideals. That alone is quite refreshing in this vampire story. Saying that, this is not just a book about vampires, it’s about families, feuds, survival of the fittest and how far you’d go to protect the ones you love. I found it an enjoyable, clever read and it should appeal to readers of vampire fiction who like something a little different from the norm.
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Gone with the Wind in Books
Jan 2, 2019
In 1861, Scarlett O'Hara is the belle of Georgia. Young, passionate and full of life. But when war comes, she is faced with hardships that she never even dreamed possible.
"Hardships make or break people."
Follow Scarlett O'Hara and her family through the destruction and despair of the Civil War and the years that followed in Reconstruction. With the old way of life dead and gone, will she wilt away along with many others of her previous status and class? Or will she find the gumption to press on and strive for survival, no matter the cost? Her love for one man blinds her to the truth about herself and those around her. After everything she has been through, will she lose the one thing she desires above all else?
"After all, tomorrow is another day."
**If you are not familiar with this story please be aware of a few minor spoilers**
I have grown up watching Gone With the Wind, but somehow, I never got around to reading the book. I am happy to check this one off of my "Bucket (Reading) List". Very long, (hence my relative blogging silence) but worth every word. Margaret Mitchell's descriptions are so detailed! I could feel the Southern sun upon my skin and could smell the scent of the magnolias growing around Tara. If you have seen the movie you will know that this is not a happy tale. But there are very valuable lessons to be learned. After reading the last page today, I was thinking about what I wanted to say in my review. And I think that what stood out to me the most, is that sometimes we are so blinded by what we think we want, what we have idolized for so long, that we can not see true happiness when it stares us in the face. There have been times in my life that I wanted my life to go in a particular direction, but the Lord changed my course. For a time it was challenging to see the good in the situation. But I would come to the realization that if I had continued down that path, I would have been miserable. Instead, I am exactly where I need to be and am continuing to learn to put my trust in God, knowing that He knows best and that He is guiding my steps. For all of her faults, Scarlett is a woman I can admire. No matter what life threw at her, she would not let herself be beaten. Her determination for survival drove her to extremes. But survive she did.
"Hardships make or break people."
Follow Scarlett O'Hara and her family through the destruction and despair of the Civil War and the years that followed in Reconstruction. With the old way of life dead and gone, will she wilt away along with many others of her previous status and class? Or will she find the gumption to press on and strive for survival, no matter the cost? Her love for one man blinds her to the truth about herself and those around her. After everything she has been through, will she lose the one thing she desires above all else?
"After all, tomorrow is another day."
**If you are not familiar with this story please be aware of a few minor spoilers**
I have grown up watching Gone With the Wind, but somehow, I never got around to reading the book. I am happy to check this one off of my "Bucket (Reading) List". Very long, (hence my relative blogging silence) but worth every word. Margaret Mitchell's descriptions are so detailed! I could feel the Southern sun upon my skin and could smell the scent of the magnolias growing around Tara. If you have seen the movie you will know that this is not a happy tale. But there are very valuable lessons to be learned. After reading the last page today, I was thinking about what I wanted to say in my review. And I think that what stood out to me the most, is that sometimes we are so blinded by what we think we want, what we have idolized for so long, that we can not see true happiness when it stares us in the face. There have been times in my life that I wanted my life to go in a particular direction, but the Lord changed my course. For a time it was challenging to see the good in the situation. But I would come to the realization that if I had continued down that path, I would have been miserable. Instead, I am exactly where I need to be and am continuing to learn to put my trust in God, knowing that He knows best and that He is guiding my steps. For all of her faults, Scarlett is a woman I can admire. No matter what life threw at her, she would not let herself be beaten. Her determination for survival drove her to extremes. But survive she did.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Snow Angel in Books
Sep 24, 2020
It tells a story of 11-year-old girl Makena, who lives in Nairobi, Kenya. Her parents died because of a cruel disease, leaving Makena an orphan. Due to some events, she ends up in the slum, where she meets her one true friend Snow.
I really enjoyed this book and its complex characters. The protagonist in this novel is Makena. She is a very smart person for an eleven-year-old. Her thoughts about life, survival and friendship were so inspiring to me, that’s why, I think, this book is superb for young readers. Makena teaches so many great values and shows great appreciation for things that matter in life. I really loved that the author chose such unique and original characters. They all had very intriguing personalities and their input in the story was irreplaceable. The story was mostly told from Makena’s perspective, and it was fully sufficient for me.
The narrative was absolutely gorgeous. It has a lot to offer to the reader, it is serious, educational but at the same time playful and magical. I think the author has done a great research for this book, and her personal experience was very well utilized in this novel. There is plenty of surprises in this story, which kept me glued to this book. I really loved the topics which the author was discussing, such as Ebola and its effects on the families they left behind, poverty and fight for survival, charity workers and their lives, and many more. The setting and atmosphere always change in this book, from Mount Kenya to slums, to the Scottish Highlands, so, your imagination will not be bored and will be taking you to various places…
I really enjoyed the writing style of this novel, I think it was very well crafted and I found it easy, and pleasant to read. The chapters are not very short, but for me, they just flew by because I was absorbed by the story itself. It has absolutely stunning illustrations by Catherine Hyde, and it makes the whole reading experience even more pleasant. I did enjoy the ending of this book, I think it rounded the story very nicely and gave the closure which left me very satisfied.
So, to conclude, this is a very beautiful story, filled with inspiring and motivating characters, who made me smile and cry on multiple occasions, and I do strongly recommend this book not only to children but to adults as well. There are plenty of things to learn from little Makena.
I really enjoyed this book and its complex characters. The protagonist in this novel is Makena. She is a very smart person for an eleven-year-old. Her thoughts about life, survival and friendship were so inspiring to me, that’s why, I think, this book is superb for young readers. Makena teaches so many great values and shows great appreciation for things that matter in life. I really loved that the author chose such unique and original characters. They all had very intriguing personalities and their input in the story was irreplaceable. The story was mostly told from Makena’s perspective, and it was fully sufficient for me.
The narrative was absolutely gorgeous. It has a lot to offer to the reader, it is serious, educational but at the same time playful and magical. I think the author has done a great research for this book, and her personal experience was very well utilized in this novel. There is plenty of surprises in this story, which kept me glued to this book. I really loved the topics which the author was discussing, such as Ebola and its effects on the families they left behind, poverty and fight for survival, charity workers and their lives, and many more. The setting and atmosphere always change in this book, from Mount Kenya to slums, to the Scottish Highlands, so, your imagination will not be bored and will be taking you to various places…
I really enjoyed the writing style of this novel, I think it was very well crafted and I found it easy, and pleasant to read. The chapters are not very short, but for me, they just flew by because I was absorbed by the story itself. It has absolutely stunning illustrations by Catherine Hyde, and it makes the whole reading experience even more pleasant. I did enjoy the ending of this book, I think it rounded the story very nicely and gave the closure which left me very satisfied.
So, to conclude, this is a very beautiful story, filled with inspiring and motivating characters, who made me smile and cry on multiple occasions, and I do strongly recommend this book not only to children but to adults as well. There are plenty of things to learn from little Makena.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Underwater (2020) in Movies
Oct 18, 2020
Better than expected
Underwater stars Kristen Stewart as an engineer working aboard a deep-sea laboratory, who must fend for her life alongside her crew when an earthquake devastates the station.
I’ll start by admitting that I’ve never been a big fan of Kristen Stewart, with Twilight to thank for this rather negative opinion. However I’ve come to realise she’s actually a decent actress, especially in action packed films, and this really helped me to enjoy Underwater a lot more than I was expecting.
The action in this is virtually nonstop. There’s no lengthy or drawn out introductions, we’re submerged (literally) into the main plot of this film less than 5 minutes in and it continues in this vein throughout. It’s an edge of your seat thrill ride that’s tense and gripping, and there isn’t a dull moment. The horror aspect is rather well done and paired with the unknown and often claustrophobic circumstances the characters find them in and the very good score, it becomes quite a scary and nerve wracking film. The plot is decent and whilst the reveal on the cause of the earthquake isn’t entirely unpredictable, it still proves to be great entertaining.
Sadly despite my gushing, Underwater isn’t perfect. The biggest problem with it is the CGI and special effects. The props and set design themselves look good, but they’re let down when we’re shown these huge CGI underwater scenes that are meant to look impressive but instead look horrendous. I’d be interested to know how this looked on the big screen, but in a home setup it looks decidedly dodgy. And slow motion every time something explodes is cringeworthy.
Underwater also suffers from your typical survival film clichés. The plot itself is very typical of a survival film, and paired with ridiculous and predictable actions by underdeveloped characters, it lets it down. The cast too are also let down by the cliched characters, and even Vincent Cassel and John Gallagher Jnr are given little to work with. The only character that has had any development whatsoever is Stewart’s Nora, who is a decent and fairly likeable protagonist.
I really wish Underwater had a little more money thrown at it. If they had dramatically improved the CGI then I think this would’ve made for a cracking good sci-if/horror. The critical reception for this hasn’t been great, which surprises me as overall this is a very tense, nerve wracking and sometimes scary film that just falls short of being very good.
I’ll start by admitting that I’ve never been a big fan of Kristen Stewart, with Twilight to thank for this rather negative opinion. However I’ve come to realise she’s actually a decent actress, especially in action packed films, and this really helped me to enjoy Underwater a lot more than I was expecting.
The action in this is virtually nonstop. There’s no lengthy or drawn out introductions, we’re submerged (literally) into the main plot of this film less than 5 minutes in and it continues in this vein throughout. It’s an edge of your seat thrill ride that’s tense and gripping, and there isn’t a dull moment. The horror aspect is rather well done and paired with the unknown and often claustrophobic circumstances the characters find them in and the very good score, it becomes quite a scary and nerve wracking film. The plot is decent and whilst the reveal on the cause of the earthquake isn’t entirely unpredictable, it still proves to be great entertaining.
Sadly despite my gushing, Underwater isn’t perfect. The biggest problem with it is the CGI and special effects. The props and set design themselves look good, but they’re let down when we’re shown these huge CGI underwater scenes that are meant to look impressive but instead look horrendous. I’d be interested to know how this looked on the big screen, but in a home setup it looks decidedly dodgy. And slow motion every time something explodes is cringeworthy.
Underwater also suffers from your typical survival film clichés. The plot itself is very typical of a survival film, and paired with ridiculous and predictable actions by underdeveloped characters, it lets it down. The cast too are also let down by the cliched characters, and even Vincent Cassel and John Gallagher Jnr are given little to work with. The only character that has had any development whatsoever is Stewart’s Nora, who is a decent and fairly likeable protagonist.
I really wish Underwater had a little more money thrown at it. If they had dramatically improved the CGI then I think this would’ve made for a cracking good sci-if/horror. The critical reception for this hasn’t been great, which surprises me as overall this is a very tense, nerve wracking and sometimes scary film that just falls short of being very good.
Wildlife Simulator: Bear
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Live the life of a Grizzly Bear! Survive as a young bear in a forest filled with dangerous...
Lifeline...
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“[A] surprising iPhone and Apple Watch bestseller is pushing the boundaries of fiction” -...