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Jake (52 KP) rated Morning Star in Books
Jul 25, 2019
Woah. Sheer intensity in written form.
Let me preface why I gave this only 4 stars instead of 5.
The series overall was riddled with crude humor and repulsive language, the depth and level of which blew past my personal tolerance levels. Also, human life was never so cheap: from the immensely violent bloody beheadings to the mass deaths and gory fight scenes, grisly death could be found in probably every other chapter. In short, I could not recommend this book to my mother.
That being said, the story and saga of Darrow pulled at my heart like no book I've ever read. The themes of death, destruction, and despair that surrounded Darrow crushed me. It was only the pure dream of the "good guys" fighting for a better world that made it possible to read through the extreme agony. The themes of love, betrayal, friendship, and trust left me emotionally drained sometimes. These elements made it so that I literally couldn't put the book down.
It is an epic journey, it is a moving (although harsh) masterpiece, and I will never forget this book or series.
Let me preface why I gave this only 4 stars instead of 5.
The series overall was riddled with crude humor and repulsive language, the depth and level of which blew past my personal tolerance levels. Also, human life was never so cheap: from the immensely violent bloody beheadings to the mass deaths and gory fight scenes, grisly death could be found in probably every other chapter. In short, I could not recommend this book to my mother.
That being said, the story and saga of Darrow pulled at my heart like no book I've ever read. The themes of death, destruction, and despair that surrounded Darrow crushed me. It was only the pure dream of the "good guys" fighting for a better world that made it possible to read through the extreme agony. The themes of love, betrayal, friendship, and trust left me emotionally drained sometimes. These elements made it so that I literally couldn't put the book down.
It is an epic journey, it is a moving (although harsh) masterpiece, and I will never forget this book or series.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated First Year (Black Mage #1) in Books
Feb 10, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
Magic. Romance. War. Perfect for fans of Throne of Glass, Falling Kingdoms, and Tamora Pierce.
Before the age of seventeen, the young men and women of Jerar are given a choice —pursue a trade or enroll in a trial year in one of the realm’s three war schools to study as a soldier, knight, or mage…
For fifteen-year-old Ryiah, the choice has always been easy. Become a mage and train in Combat, the most prestigious faction of magic.
Yet when she arrives, Ry finds herself competing against friend and foe for one of the exalted apprenticeships. Everyone is rooting for her to fail—first and foremost among them is Prince Darren, the school prodigy who has done nothing but make life miserable since she arrived.
Will Ry survive, or will her dream go down in flames?
A very good read! The book and story flowed effortlessly. All sorts of emotions coming from the young prince, also a lot of hatred for Precilla. Slightly predicable in places but Ry is a strong character with strong friends backing her up!
Looking forward to hearing more in the Apprentice.
To answer the question Ry survives and kick starts her dream.
Before the age of seventeen, the young men and women of Jerar are given a choice —pursue a trade or enroll in a trial year in one of the realm’s three war schools to study as a soldier, knight, or mage…
For fifteen-year-old Ryiah, the choice has always been easy. Become a mage and train in Combat, the most prestigious faction of magic.
Yet when she arrives, Ry finds herself competing against friend and foe for one of the exalted apprenticeships. Everyone is rooting for her to fail—first and foremost among them is Prince Darren, the school prodigy who has done nothing but make life miserable since she arrived.
Will Ry survive, or will her dream go down in flames?
A very good read! The book and story flowed effortlessly. All sorts of emotions coming from the young prince, also a lot of hatred for Precilla. Slightly predicable in places but Ry is a strong character with strong friends backing her up!
Looking forward to hearing more in the Apprentice.
To answer the question Ry survives and kick starts her dream.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Kin-dza-dza! (1986) in Movies
Apr 4, 2020
Soviet-era comedy-SF resembles a high-speed collision between Mad Max and The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy as directed by Terry Gilliam. Earthling Everymen are accidentally teleported to the post-apocalyptic dystopia of Pluk, where lower-caste citizens must wear bells in their noses, social status is determined by the colour of your trousers, and most of the local language translates as 'koo!' Can they persuade a couple of dodgy locals to help them get home?
Possibly a little bit slow and overlong, and many of the jokes are probably too understated, but the desolate alien world is well-realised on a low budget (special effects are sparingly used, but look good when they are) and the intricately ridiculous society of Pluk has been worked out in impressive detail. Hard to tell whether the satire is aimed at capitalist society or communist, but perhaps this is the point: life on Pluk may be unfair, arbitrary, and often unintelligible, but then isn't that true everywhere? Well-played, solidly scripted for the most part (end comes unravelled a bit), very watchable and entertaining.
Possibly a little bit slow and overlong, and many of the jokes are probably too understated, but the desolate alien world is well-realised on a low budget (special effects are sparingly used, but look good when they are) and the intricately ridiculous society of Pluk has been worked out in impressive detail. Hard to tell whether the satire is aimed at capitalist society or communist, but perhaps this is the point: life on Pluk may be unfair, arbitrary, and often unintelligible, but then isn't that true everywhere? Well-played, solidly scripted for the most part (end comes unravelled a bit), very watchable and entertaining.
Aphorisms on Love and Hate
Book
'We must learn to love, learn to be kind, and this from our earliest youth ...Likewise, hatred must...
Big Data: Surviving the Information Revolution
Book
Is the Brexit vote successful big data politics or the end of democracy? Why do airlines overbook,...
Silver Lining
Book
How unbelievably dull my life was. I did everything I was supposed to. I was such a good girl. I...
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Edge of Darkness (2010) in Movies
Jul 24, 2020
Whatever It Takes
Edge of Darkness- was a decent action thriller. The problem it was slow and didnt have alot of action. It had good drama, suspense and thrills.
The plot: When the only daughter of a Boston homicide detective, Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson), is shot on his doorstep, everyone assumes that he was the intended target. Then evidence suggests otherwise, and Craven sets out to find her killer and, in the process, uncovers her secret life, corporate coverups, government collusion, and murder.
It was based on the 1985 BBC television series of the same name, which was likewise directed by Campbell.
Additionally, Gibson and his crew set up shop for filming in western Massachusetts, with 180 staff staying in Northampton hotels. They shot in various locations in the Pioneer Valley, including Tully O'Reilly's Pub, the Northampton Athletic Club, and an older part of the Hampshire County Courthouse, all in Northampton. Also, Sugarloaf Mountain was shut down for a few days while they rented it out. They also filmed at the Notch Visitor Center, Rt. 116, Amherst.
Like I said before a decent action film.
The plot: When the only daughter of a Boston homicide detective, Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson), is shot on his doorstep, everyone assumes that he was the intended target. Then evidence suggests otherwise, and Craven sets out to find her killer and, in the process, uncovers her secret life, corporate coverups, government collusion, and murder.
It was based on the 1985 BBC television series of the same name, which was likewise directed by Campbell.
Additionally, Gibson and his crew set up shop for filming in western Massachusetts, with 180 staff staying in Northampton hotels. They shot in various locations in the Pioneer Valley, including Tully O'Reilly's Pub, the Northampton Athletic Club, and an older part of the Hampshire County Courthouse, all in Northampton. Also, Sugarloaf Mountain was shut down for a few days while they rented it out. They also filmed at the Notch Visitor Center, Rt. 116, Amherst.
Like I said before a decent action film.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Interview with the Vampire (1994) in Movies
Aug 8, 2020
Lavish adaptation of the best-selling novel resembles a cross between an existential bitch-fest and a hair care products commercial. Have you wondered what the ageless and immortal vampire does with all those endless nights? Well, he sits around and broods about it, if he's Brad Pitt, or shamelessly camps it up in search of an Oscar nomination if he's Tom Cruise. The film documents two centuries in the life of the undead: most of it is people sitting around in extravagantly-decorated rooms complaining about either their lives or each other.
Just a bit too artfully amoral and self-indulgent for my tastes; the gay subtext is undeniably present but you can tell Pitt and Cruise are doing their best to stamp it into the carpet (I mentioned this in a review of the novel once and someone said 'This book isn't about gay people! It's about vampires!', which I thought was rather sweet). Looks good and has some decent performances, but makes being a vampire look very boring. On the other hand, very clearly the chief inspiration for What We Do In the Shadows (both movie and TV show), although not nearly as entertaining.
Just a bit too artfully amoral and self-indulgent for my tastes; the gay subtext is undeniably present but you can tell Pitt and Cruise are doing their best to stamp it into the carpet (I mentioned this in a review of the novel once and someone said 'This book isn't about gay people! It's about vampires!', which I thought was rather sweet). Looks good and has some decent performances, but makes being a vampire look very boring. On the other hand, very clearly the chief inspiration for What We Do In the Shadows (both movie and TV show), although not nearly as entertaining.
Humankind sets out to prove that human beings are essentially nice people who want to help other people. Except over the centuries, philosophers, politicians and other influential people have told us the complete opposite - to the point that we believe it. I think Bregman is successful at this as well. Help does come in the most unexpected places, as we’ve seen recently in towns and cities across the UK during the coronavirus pandemic. Yes, there are those who take advantage of others, but I’d like to believe that they’re in the minority.
This is a really engaging, easy to read book, with some great examples. Bregman looks at studies and experiments that all types of scientists have done, and also looks at some real life examples.
This book left me feeling very positive about the state of humanity, and I hope that the good people in our societies will always outnumber the bad.
I really do highly recommend this if you’re prevaricating over whether to read it or not. It’s a great read.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and Rutger Bregman for reading along!
This is a really engaging, easy to read book, with some great examples. Bregman looks at studies and experiments that all types of scientists have done, and also looks at some real life examples.
This book left me feeling very positive about the state of humanity, and I hope that the good people in our societies will always outnumber the bad.
I really do highly recommend this if you’re prevaricating over whether to read it or not. It’s a great read.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and Rutger Bregman for reading along!
These Lost & Broken Things
6.0
Rate It
Book
Girl. Mother. Assassin. How dangerous is a woman with nothing left to lose? The year is...