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Debbiereadsbook (1110 KP) rated Scott (Owatonna U Hockey #2) in Books
Mar 29, 2019
much better than book one!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book two in the Owatonna U Hockey trilogy, but you don't need to have read book one first. I have though, and found THAT book not really to my liking.
THIS one, however, I enjoyed far more.
Scott is suffering, since his brother died, and decides to self medicate with illegal steroids. After punching his best friend in the face, Scott is suspended for a whole 12 months, and is quite literally, chucked out his home. With nowhere to go, he happens to meet Hayne at a mandatory counselling session. Hayne, for reasons he cannot fathom, takes pity on Scott and the pair become inseparable. They each have their own demons, but together, they just might be able to overcome them.
Like I said, a MUCH better read, for me anyway, that Ryker. And much of that is because I didn't much care for Ryker in his book and I'll come back to that in a minute, though.
Hayne is a free spirited artist, in his final year at college. He is terrorised by his tenants, and spends all his time in his room, trying to paint his final piece. Meeting Scott, who turns out to be the muse he was missing, wasn't planned, but Hayne runs with it. Helping Scott get back to hockey seems the right and best thing to do. That Scott helps Hayne is a much added bonus.
Hayne is LOVELY!! So sweet, I wanted to punch his housemates! And the fact that he really sees Scott helps. Scott is trying to be the son his father wants, but he isn't his brother Luke. He will NEVER be Luke. His father pushes Scott away, and it takes his mother, who has been self medicating in the bottom of a bottle, to pull HER big girl panties up, and make her husband and son see that they are BOTH suffering and TOGETHER they can make some semblance of a relationship again.
Loved Hayne's mum and Mimi! Loved that they took Scott in when he needed someone the most, Hayne aside.
Back to Ryker. I did not like him in his book, but he does redeem himself somewhat here! While Scott is hiding, his friends, the ones he thought hated him, were planning an intervention, and Ryker is foremost at getting Scott to see that his friends don't hate him, they just didn't see how much he was suffering.
It does carry some darker story lines, grief, bereavement, alcohol and drug abuse, but they are all part and parcel of Scott's story, and they are very well written.
Oh, and you'll need tissues. I cried a LOT with this book!
Can't QUITE get past the first person to stretch to 5 stars, but a much better than book one:
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book two in the Owatonna U Hockey trilogy, but you don't need to have read book one first. I have though, and found THAT book not really to my liking.
THIS one, however, I enjoyed far more.
Scott is suffering, since his brother died, and decides to self medicate with illegal steroids. After punching his best friend in the face, Scott is suspended for a whole 12 months, and is quite literally, chucked out his home. With nowhere to go, he happens to meet Hayne at a mandatory counselling session. Hayne, for reasons he cannot fathom, takes pity on Scott and the pair become inseparable. They each have their own demons, but together, they just might be able to overcome them.
Like I said, a MUCH better read, for me anyway, that Ryker. And much of that is because I didn't much care for Ryker in his book and I'll come back to that in a minute, though.
Hayne is a free spirited artist, in his final year at college. He is terrorised by his tenants, and spends all his time in his room, trying to paint his final piece. Meeting Scott, who turns out to be the muse he was missing, wasn't planned, but Hayne runs with it. Helping Scott get back to hockey seems the right and best thing to do. That Scott helps Hayne is a much added bonus.
Hayne is LOVELY!! So sweet, I wanted to punch his housemates! And the fact that he really sees Scott helps. Scott is trying to be the son his father wants, but he isn't his brother Luke. He will NEVER be Luke. His father pushes Scott away, and it takes his mother, who has been self medicating in the bottom of a bottle, to pull HER big girl panties up, and make her husband and son see that they are BOTH suffering and TOGETHER they can make some semblance of a relationship again.
Loved Hayne's mum and Mimi! Loved that they took Scott in when he needed someone the most, Hayne aside.
Back to Ryker. I did not like him in his book, but he does redeem himself somewhat here! While Scott is hiding, his friends, the ones he thought hated him, were planning an intervention, and Ryker is foremost at getting Scott to see that his friends don't hate him, they just didn't see how much he was suffering.
It does carry some darker story lines, grief, bereavement, alcohol and drug abuse, but they are all part and parcel of Scott's story, and they are very well written.
Oh, and you'll need tissues. I cried a LOT with this book!
Can't QUITE get past the first person to stretch to 5 stars, but a much better than book one:
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Servant: The Kindred (Servant, #3) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I almost feel bad having this series as my first review since I have absolutely nothing good to say about this book, or the series for that matter. Every element of this book was just terrible, from the language to the plot development, or lack thereof.
By the time I came to the final novel in the Servant trilogy, I quite literally had to force myself to read every page. Unlike the first two, where I became hooked on a goal that Gabrielle Cody was trying to reach, this book just grossed me out, bored me, and irritated me when I wasnt bored. After the first chapter, I lost any hope that this novel was an improvement on the first two.
The foul language was so excessive that I noticed myself just passing over it like you would the word the or and. The fact that Gaby couldnt form a sentence without saying the f-word seemed a bit juvenile to me. Fosters attempt to make Gaby seem uneducated is contradicted when she randomly uses words like cathartic. It was out of her character.
The characters were more frustrating in this novel than in the previous ones. Gaby and Luthers arguing left me so annoyed that, at times, I just skipped over it. I could not understand why Luther was so obsessed with her since any normal person probably would just ignored her from the get go. However, I felt that Gabys character had become more realistic in her feelings and thoughts. I actually liked that Gaby was so jealous of Ann, Luthers partner who is perfect in every way. I also liked the relationship she forms with Bliss, a ex-prostitute that Gaby saved from the streets, and the two orphans that Gaby takes under her wing.
The biggest problem I have with this series is the pedestal that Foster place Gaby upon. Foster makes her protagonist so strong and unbeatable that, more than once, I thought that the author was trying to make Gaby a god on earth. Gaby only obtains one injury through the entire novel, a bullet wound that is used to further the plot. Without the bullet wound, Gaby would have never gone to get a tattoo. Nobody can touch Gaby, something I found not only a nuascance but unlikely.
The final noteworthy thing about this book, is that we discover Gaby ancestry. I felt appeased in my search for discovering more about Gabys past and parents. Any surprise I had about her parentage was nullified by Fosters writing style.
I do believe I have complained enough about this series. I did have hope for it but was disappointed. After reading such an unpleasing series, I am going to read a book I know I should end up enjoying.
By the time I came to the final novel in the Servant trilogy, I quite literally had to force myself to read every page. Unlike the first two, where I became hooked on a goal that Gabrielle Cody was trying to reach, this book just grossed me out, bored me, and irritated me when I wasnt bored. After the first chapter, I lost any hope that this novel was an improvement on the first two.
The foul language was so excessive that I noticed myself just passing over it like you would the word the or and. The fact that Gaby couldnt form a sentence without saying the f-word seemed a bit juvenile to me. Fosters attempt to make Gaby seem uneducated is contradicted when she randomly uses words like cathartic. It was out of her character.
The characters were more frustrating in this novel than in the previous ones. Gaby and Luthers arguing left me so annoyed that, at times, I just skipped over it. I could not understand why Luther was so obsessed with her since any normal person probably would just ignored her from the get go. However, I felt that Gabys character had become more realistic in her feelings and thoughts. I actually liked that Gaby was so jealous of Ann, Luthers partner who is perfect in every way. I also liked the relationship she forms with Bliss, a ex-prostitute that Gaby saved from the streets, and the two orphans that Gaby takes under her wing.
The biggest problem I have with this series is the pedestal that Foster place Gaby upon. Foster makes her protagonist so strong and unbeatable that, more than once, I thought that the author was trying to make Gaby a god on earth. Gaby only obtains one injury through the entire novel, a bullet wound that is used to further the plot. Without the bullet wound, Gaby would have never gone to get a tattoo. Nobody can touch Gaby, something I found not only a nuascance but unlikely.
The final noteworthy thing about this book, is that we discover Gaby ancestry. I felt appeased in my search for discovering more about Gabys past and parents. Any surprise I had about her parentage was nullified by Fosters writing style.
I do believe I have complained enough about this series. I did have hope for it but was disappointed. After reading such an unpleasing series, I am going to read a book I know I should end up enjoying.
Debbiereadsbook (1110 KP) rated Defenders, Sons of Olympia Reverse HaremSeries in Books
Apr 3, 2018 (Updated Apr 3, 2018)
love these!
I was asked to read this book, that I write a review was not required.
However! When a book pulls you in and grabs you so much so you nearly missed your time stamp at work, you really should say a few words, shouldn't you??
This is book 2 in the Sons of Olympia trilogy, but you don't NEED to have read book one, Ravens, first. You SHOULD, because I said so, but not necessary. Both stand alones, but Brenna does pop in this one, on her own journey.
Lauren finds herself tied to a tree, in the middle of the woods, by the local high school bullies. That they aren't in high school anymore doesn't matter to them. Faced with spending her last days as such, Lauren doesn't expect to be rescued, not least by THREE guys who seem to know her! She doesn't feel afraid in their company, these men who tell her they know her SOUL from years gone by. Jasper, Zander and Greg are Spartan, of the 3oo warriors of legend. And since time began, they have loved Lauren, or a version of her, until one day she did not come home. And now, they really don't want to let her go.
Different from book one, in that, once Lauren is told who the guys are, and what they mean to her, and what she means to them, she does NOT run. She seeks them out, each time going to the woods by herself and her newly arrived puppy. She looks for their gifts each day, knowing that accepting them brings her closer to the men who are creeping their way into her heart. She faces a big decision, when her aunt and uncle tell her their news, but really, it's not a difficult decision, not when she knows who she wants.
I gave Ravens 5 stars cos it was hot hot HOT. While this one is also a 5 star read, I did find it not as explicit as book one. Sexy, yes, hot, yes, but quite as much as book one. Not a bad thing, not at all, just needed to mention it! I'm still harbouring some jealousy that these ladies can find THREE guys when I can't even bag one!
The Ravens are mentioned, when Lauren goes to talk to Jade about local legends, and the Brenna is having problems with them, but they play no part here. Also not a bad thing! The Ravens are also different in that they shift, the Spartans here do not.
Again I read this straight through without stopping and it didn't seem as long as Ravens, and when checking there is some hundred page difference.
I am assuming that book three, Architects, will be Jade's story. I hope so. I hope I get to read it, to see if she embraces those legends her grandma used to tell her.
Thank you, Ms Perry, for my copy.
5 full and shiny stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
However! When a book pulls you in and grabs you so much so you nearly missed your time stamp at work, you really should say a few words, shouldn't you??
This is book 2 in the Sons of Olympia trilogy, but you don't NEED to have read book one, Ravens, first. You SHOULD, because I said so, but not necessary. Both stand alones, but Brenna does pop in this one, on her own journey.
Lauren finds herself tied to a tree, in the middle of the woods, by the local high school bullies. That they aren't in high school anymore doesn't matter to them. Faced with spending her last days as such, Lauren doesn't expect to be rescued, not least by THREE guys who seem to know her! She doesn't feel afraid in their company, these men who tell her they know her SOUL from years gone by. Jasper, Zander and Greg are Spartan, of the 3oo warriors of legend. And since time began, they have loved Lauren, or a version of her, until one day she did not come home. And now, they really don't want to let her go.
Different from book one, in that, once Lauren is told who the guys are, and what they mean to her, and what she means to them, she does NOT run. She seeks them out, each time going to the woods by herself and her newly arrived puppy. She looks for their gifts each day, knowing that accepting them brings her closer to the men who are creeping their way into her heart. She faces a big decision, when her aunt and uncle tell her their news, but really, it's not a difficult decision, not when she knows who she wants.
I gave Ravens 5 stars cos it was hot hot HOT. While this one is also a 5 star read, I did find it not as explicit as book one. Sexy, yes, hot, yes, but quite as much as book one. Not a bad thing, not at all, just needed to mention it! I'm still harbouring some jealousy that these ladies can find THREE guys when I can't even bag one!
The Ravens are mentioned, when Lauren goes to talk to Jade about local legends, and the Brenna is having problems with them, but they play no part here. Also not a bad thing! The Ravens are also different in that they shift, the Spartans here do not.
Again I read this straight through without stopping and it didn't seem as long as Ravens, and when checking there is some hundred page difference.
I am assuming that book three, Architects, will be Jade's story. I hope so. I hope I get to read it, to see if she embraces those legends her grandma used to tell her.
Thank you, Ms Perry, for my copy.
5 full and shiny stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, #1) in Books
Dec 7, 2018
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>
<i>Grave Mercy</i> is the first book in Robin LaFevers’ trilogy <i>His Fair Assassin</i> set in Brittany in the middle ages. Young Ismae Rienne escapes from her new, abusive husband to the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where she learns that she was sired by the god of death. She, like the other sisters of the convent, has been blessed with certain gifts as a result. Their job is to be the handmaidens of death and help to kill people on behalf of St. Mortain.
Ismae’s task is to live in the high courts with a man named Gavriel Duval in order to remove the traitors that threaten the soon to be crowned duchess, Anne. While she is there she begins to suspect that one of the allies is a traitor, but whom? She also begins to fall in love and feels torn in two when the convent demands his death.
It takes a long time to understand what is going on in <i>Grave Mercy</i> especially as a lot of it involves politics of an era of long ago. Towards the end it begins to become more exciting once the reader has worked out who are the good characters and who are the bad and all that is left is to discover how it all resolves itself.
There is something about death and murder in historical fiction that is more gruesome than in contemporary novels. This is another reason why the book was difficult to read.
Initially the amount of names listed on the “Dramatis Personae” at the start of the book was a little daunting however not all of them are key to the plot. The main character, Ismae, is likable and her strength and independence is admirable especially as women did not have much control over their lives at that time. Most of the other characters also existed in real life as, although in part a fantasy novel, LaFevers’ has kept it as historically accurate as possible.
Looking at the reviews on <i>Goodreads</i>, over 900 readers have listed <i>Grave Mercy</i> as Young Adult. After reading the book there is nothing to suggest that it was written for that age group. Admittedly the characters are very young: Ismae, 17, and Anne, 12; but in the 1400s they would have seemed older than society regards people of that age today. The romantic element of the novel is the kind you would expect to find in adult historical novels rather than books for younger readers.
Overall this is a book for people who appreciate historical and political fiction but also like an element of fantasy and romance. It is written really well but to be able to engage fully with the story you need to be really interested in the subject matter.
<i>Grave Mercy</i> is the first book in Robin LaFevers’ trilogy <i>His Fair Assassin</i> set in Brittany in the middle ages. Young Ismae Rienne escapes from her new, abusive husband to the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where she learns that she was sired by the god of death. She, like the other sisters of the convent, has been blessed with certain gifts as a result. Their job is to be the handmaidens of death and help to kill people on behalf of St. Mortain.
Ismae’s task is to live in the high courts with a man named Gavriel Duval in order to remove the traitors that threaten the soon to be crowned duchess, Anne. While she is there she begins to suspect that one of the allies is a traitor, but whom? She also begins to fall in love and feels torn in two when the convent demands his death.
It takes a long time to understand what is going on in <i>Grave Mercy</i> especially as a lot of it involves politics of an era of long ago. Towards the end it begins to become more exciting once the reader has worked out who are the good characters and who are the bad and all that is left is to discover how it all resolves itself.
There is something about death and murder in historical fiction that is more gruesome than in contemporary novels. This is another reason why the book was difficult to read.
Initially the amount of names listed on the “Dramatis Personae” at the start of the book was a little daunting however not all of them are key to the plot. The main character, Ismae, is likable and her strength and independence is admirable especially as women did not have much control over their lives at that time. Most of the other characters also existed in real life as, although in part a fantasy novel, LaFevers’ has kept it as historically accurate as possible.
Looking at the reviews on <i>Goodreads</i>, over 900 readers have listed <i>Grave Mercy</i> as Young Adult. After reading the book there is nothing to suggest that it was written for that age group. Admittedly the characters are very young: Ismae, 17, and Anne, 12; but in the 1400s they would have seemed older than society regards people of that age today. The romantic element of the novel is the kind you would expect to find in adult historical novels rather than books for younger readers.
Overall this is a book for people who appreciate historical and political fiction but also like an element of fantasy and romance. It is written really well but to be able to engage fully with the story you need to be really interested in the subject matter.
Merissa (11805 KP) rated Restraint (The Revelation #2) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
For those of you that remember, I was blown away by Revelation, the first book in this trilogy, as it was a Paranormal/Romance/Fantasy book which is my favourite genre but it was something NEW! It wasn't the same story told in a different way. I was reading something new and quickly became engrossed and yes, even addicted to it. Then it finished and I was gutted. I needed more. Randi Cooley Wilson has been teasing her fans with trailers and snippets of my favourites - Asher, Eve and Gage, not forgetting the rest of the St. Michael clan.
I was so excited to receive a copy of this book but was also of the opinion that it simply wouldn't be as good as the first. There was no way that Randi would be able to sustain my interest at the level it had been for Revelation. Boy, was I wrong! Restraint is just as good, if not better, than Revelation. We see more deeply into the world of the gargoyles and understand more what Eve actually means to the rest of the 'mythological' world. Luckily for me, we see a lot more of Asher too - happy days! This book could have so easily been called Frustration because that is what I was feeling for Asher and Eve. Jeez, I want them together so badly! We see more of their relationship and their struggles as they 'try' to do the right thing. Eve isn't afraid of Asher anymore and will happily disagree with him should she feel he is wrong, but still has her own insecurities that spring up occasionally. Mind you, if Eve didn't want him, I'd be more than happy to take him off her hands. What hubby doesn't know won't hurt him ;)
The characters in this book are all fantastically well written and we get even more depth and knowledge about them. We learn that Callan loves to bake whenever he and Abby argue, we learn that Eve can take lessons from this but also can't keep a straight face when offered a cookie any more! McKenna is warming up, Keegan is still the strong silent type but emotions are coming through. Gage is still... well, Gage is still Gage. If you're going to have a triangle then at least make it a good one and this one is brilliant.
I could not put this book down and ended up staying awake far too late in the evening to finish it. *Spoiler Alert - invest in a box of tissues and preferably a large wine whilst reading this!* I have waited a few days before posting the review simply to make sure that I don't gush like a schoolgirl at her first boy-band concert. I'm not sure I've 100% succeeded but I've given it my best shot.
Absolutely fantastic second book in the series. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to all once it is released in August. Now, if only book 3 would be released like NOW!
I was so excited to receive a copy of this book but was also of the opinion that it simply wouldn't be as good as the first. There was no way that Randi would be able to sustain my interest at the level it had been for Revelation. Boy, was I wrong! Restraint is just as good, if not better, than Revelation. We see more deeply into the world of the gargoyles and understand more what Eve actually means to the rest of the 'mythological' world. Luckily for me, we see a lot more of Asher too - happy days! This book could have so easily been called Frustration because that is what I was feeling for Asher and Eve. Jeez, I want them together so badly! We see more of their relationship and their struggles as they 'try' to do the right thing. Eve isn't afraid of Asher anymore and will happily disagree with him should she feel he is wrong, but still has her own insecurities that spring up occasionally. Mind you, if Eve didn't want him, I'd be more than happy to take him off her hands. What hubby doesn't know won't hurt him ;)
The characters in this book are all fantastically well written and we get even more depth and knowledge about them. We learn that Callan loves to bake whenever he and Abby argue, we learn that Eve can take lessons from this but also can't keep a straight face when offered a cookie any more! McKenna is warming up, Keegan is still the strong silent type but emotions are coming through. Gage is still... well, Gage is still Gage. If you're going to have a triangle then at least make it a good one and this one is brilliant.
I could not put this book down and ended up staying awake far too late in the evening to finish it. *Spoiler Alert - invest in a box of tissues and preferably a large wine whilst reading this!* I have waited a few days before posting the review simply to make sure that I don't gush like a schoolgirl at her first boy-band concert. I'm not sure I've 100% succeeded but I've given it my best shot.
Absolutely fantastic second book in the series. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to all once it is released in August. Now, if only book 3 would be released like NOW!
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019) in Movies
Dec 24, 2019
"Satisfying Enough" Conclusion
I am a fan of the STAR WARS films. Ever since I first went to a place A LONG TIME AGO IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY I have enjoyed the adventures of the ragtag group of rebels taking on the evil Galactic Empire. Like most folks, I was blown away by the first STAR WARS film, LOVED the sequel, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, thought the concluding film in the original trilogy, RETURN OF THE JEDI was "good enough", hated the prequels and have been cautiously optimistic when both THE FORCE AWAKENS and ROGUE ONE were good films. Finally, of course, I was disappointed (like everyone else) with THE LAST JEDI and SOLO. So...I was going to go to THE RISE OF SKYWALKER no matter what anyone else says.
And...I was satisfied.
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER is an above average, "good enough" conclusion to the Skywalker saga of Star Wars, bringing enough action, energy, adventure and character moments - and character cameos - to satisfy my appetite for all things Star Wars.
Directed by returning Director J.J. Abrams, ROS picks up events after the events of THE LAST JEDI. Rey is training to be a Jedi and Poe, Finn, Leia and Chewie are fighting Kylo Ren and the First Order. The film starts out rapidly - perhaps too rapidly - as multiple events take place with action pieces and fast pacing that does leave you slightly breathless - it also feels just a bit rushed, as if J.J. is trying to pack 10 lbs. of movie into a 5 lb bag. By gosh, he was not going to accused of delivering a film that was not "fast-paced".
The performances of the leads are strong - Daisy Ridley (Rey), Adam Driver (Kylo), John Boyega (Finn) and Oscar Isaac (Poe) all know their characters by now and they are able to play in them well. Joined by the expected CGI and costumed droids and aliens (C3PO, R2D2, BB8 and good ol' Chewie), I was happily entertained to see them all together on screen - along with "veterans" like Lando (Billy Dee Williams) and General (not Princess) Leia (the late Carrie Fisher). The filmmakers put a loving tribute to her in this film that is effective (though I could see where they had to use a body double in places), but it is still well done. And, of course, there are plenty of callbacks and cameos to make any StarWars afficianado happy.
Ultimately, the emotional stakes of the denouement fell a bit short for me (as the "big bad" in this didn't have the emotional heft of Darth Vader), but it was a "good enough" emotional ending buried in an above average "final space battle" to have me leave the film satisfied.
And...that's all you can ask for from the 9th film of a series...enough to keep you "satisfied".
Letter Grade: B+
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
And...I was satisfied.
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER is an above average, "good enough" conclusion to the Skywalker saga of Star Wars, bringing enough action, energy, adventure and character moments - and character cameos - to satisfy my appetite for all things Star Wars.
Directed by returning Director J.J. Abrams, ROS picks up events after the events of THE LAST JEDI. Rey is training to be a Jedi and Poe, Finn, Leia and Chewie are fighting Kylo Ren and the First Order. The film starts out rapidly - perhaps too rapidly - as multiple events take place with action pieces and fast pacing that does leave you slightly breathless - it also feels just a bit rushed, as if J.J. is trying to pack 10 lbs. of movie into a 5 lb bag. By gosh, he was not going to accused of delivering a film that was not "fast-paced".
The performances of the leads are strong - Daisy Ridley (Rey), Adam Driver (Kylo), John Boyega (Finn) and Oscar Isaac (Poe) all know their characters by now and they are able to play in them well. Joined by the expected CGI and costumed droids and aliens (C3PO, R2D2, BB8 and good ol' Chewie), I was happily entertained to see them all together on screen - along with "veterans" like Lando (Billy Dee Williams) and General (not Princess) Leia (the late Carrie Fisher). The filmmakers put a loving tribute to her in this film that is effective (though I could see where they had to use a body double in places), but it is still well done. And, of course, there are plenty of callbacks and cameos to make any StarWars afficianado happy.
Ultimately, the emotional stakes of the denouement fell a bit short for me (as the "big bad" in this didn't have the emotional heft of Darth Vader), but it was a "good enough" emotional ending buried in an above average "final space battle" to have me leave the film satisfied.
And...that's all you can ask for from the 9th film of a series...enough to keep you "satisfied".
Letter Grade: B+
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
Kevin Wilson (179 KP) rated Spyro Trilogy Reignited in Video Games
Jan 23, 2019
Looks beautiful and colourful (3 more)
Satisfies your collecting addictions
Fun characters and witty dialogue
3 games in 1 well worth the money
Fantastic remaster with 1 huge flaw
This game was just loads and loads of fun. This is the ultimated game of collectibles. Its basically the point and it works today because thats what we like to do in games.
The game looks beautiful and colourful. The characters are fun and are very witty. There have been some slight changes with enemies here and theres. Sounds were changed and bullets were changed to paint which didnt need to be done.
The first game was the most simplest of the games. Go through levels collecting gems and dragons and thats it. It doesnt sound like the most in depth story but it was a ton of fun and in a way i prefered it to the 2nd game.
The 2nd had a lot more objectives within levels and had a bigger emphasis on backtracking. You couldnt swim or climb until later so you would have to go back to a previous level to 100% it. I didnt mind it too much, the levels are fun. Spyro has a lot more abilities with this game too. Like i said, swimming and climbing being a couple. You only had to touch the water in the first and you would be dead.
The 3rd was my favourite of the 3. It felt like it merged the 2 games. Had the objectives of the 2nd game while keeping it simple. But i got to the 3rd world out of 4 and experienced a game breaking glitch in the lost fleet level that forcrd me to restart the entire game since you cant restart the level. It was so annoying when i was trying to 100% the games but the games were fun enough to go through again. I just feel its sloppy work of the developers that this glitch got through testing or that it has not been patched yet since many people have had this glitch too.
In a game thats out now it is also shocking that there are no subtitle options either. It feels this is a must nowadays but they left it out. The only patch this game has seen was on day one and you have to download it because it is only the 1st game that is on the disk. The patch enables the other 2. When you see games like the crash trilogy and uncharted the nathan drake collection you would think it would be simple to put all bames on the disk.
Overall though its fun and has a great difficulty to it that feels very satisfying. I would recommend it, just be careful and dont rush to complete an objective. Thats what caused the glitch for me.
The game looks beautiful and colourful. The characters are fun and are very witty. There have been some slight changes with enemies here and theres. Sounds were changed and bullets were changed to paint which didnt need to be done.
The first game was the most simplest of the games. Go through levels collecting gems and dragons and thats it. It doesnt sound like the most in depth story but it was a ton of fun and in a way i prefered it to the 2nd game.
The 2nd had a lot more objectives within levels and had a bigger emphasis on backtracking. You couldnt swim or climb until later so you would have to go back to a previous level to 100% it. I didnt mind it too much, the levels are fun. Spyro has a lot more abilities with this game too. Like i said, swimming and climbing being a couple. You only had to touch the water in the first and you would be dead.
The 3rd was my favourite of the 3. It felt like it merged the 2 games. Had the objectives of the 2nd game while keeping it simple. But i got to the 3rd world out of 4 and experienced a game breaking glitch in the lost fleet level that forcrd me to restart the entire game since you cant restart the level. It was so annoying when i was trying to 100% the games but the games were fun enough to go through again. I just feel its sloppy work of the developers that this glitch got through testing or that it has not been patched yet since many people have had this glitch too.
In a game thats out now it is also shocking that there are no subtitle options either. It feels this is a must nowadays but they left it out. The only patch this game has seen was on day one and you have to download it because it is only the 1st game that is on the disk. The patch enables the other 2. When you see games like the crash trilogy and uncharted the nathan drake collection you would think it would be simple to put all bames on the disk.
Overall though its fun and has a great difficulty to it that feels very satisfying. I would recommend it, just be careful and dont rush to complete an objective. Thats what caused the glitch for me.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated On the Steel Breeze in Books
Nov 21, 2019
On The Steel Breeze is the second in Reynold's Poseidon's Children trilogy and deals with the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence.
Taking up the story several years after Blue Remembered Earth the main (human) protagonist is Chiku Akinya, daughter of Sunday Akinya from the first book. She has cloned herself and the three Chikus pursue different fates but their stories inevitably interact with each other.even across light years of space.
One is lost in space, presumed dead. Another is on a colony ship heading to a planet that images have shown has a clearly alien structure on the surface. The third remains on Earth, presumably in safety.
As the colony ships near the destination planet they are riven by internal strife and politics just as Chiku finds that things are not as they seem. There are secrets both within the colony ship and with the planet itself, secrets that are bound to cause conflict when they are brought to light. On earth it is clear that some important information has been hidden and Chiku must risk her safe existence to uncover the truth, but at a high cost.
The book starts slowly, maybe a little too keen to establish who Chiku is and reinforce how the world she inhabits is different from ours. However once the story moves to the colony ships it moves along at a good pace with enough twists and surprises to keep the reader's interest. There is plenty of intrigue and it really is hard to tell where the story is going next.
We have the usual 'hard physics' at work as should be expected in a Reynolds book. Except for the hand wavium 'Chibesa physics' that powers the ships, the laws of physics are rigidly adhered to. Again we see how a battle across millions of miles of space could be achieved.
I found the ending to be satisfying (I have read reviews criticising it). It ties up the story of the earth based Chiku. The story for the colonists is clearly only beginning and the third book in the series is set up neatly in the epilogue, while at the same time providing closure on the fate of the colonists.
My only real criticism of the book (and it in no way detracted from it) was the cloning-and-memory-merging gimmick used for the Chiku clones. Although this neatly allowed the story to move between the colony ships and the solar system, I felt that this had been explored better (and with more justification) in Reynold's novel House Of Suns. Here it just seems to be a 'sci-fieqsue' way of allowing the main protagonists to communicate and empathise across the vast tracts of space and otherwise seemed superfluous given the complex set up.
Overall another excellent book from Reynolds, definitely up there with the best 'space opera' novels. I am looking forward to the third book immensely.
Taking up the story several years after Blue Remembered Earth the main (human) protagonist is Chiku Akinya, daughter of Sunday Akinya from the first book. She has cloned herself and the three Chikus pursue different fates but their stories inevitably interact with each other.even across light years of space.
One is lost in space, presumed dead. Another is on a colony ship heading to a planet that images have shown has a clearly alien structure on the surface. The third remains on Earth, presumably in safety.
As the colony ships near the destination planet they are riven by internal strife and politics just as Chiku finds that things are not as they seem. There are secrets both within the colony ship and with the planet itself, secrets that are bound to cause conflict when they are brought to light. On earth it is clear that some important information has been hidden and Chiku must risk her safe existence to uncover the truth, but at a high cost.
The book starts slowly, maybe a little too keen to establish who Chiku is and reinforce how the world she inhabits is different from ours. However once the story moves to the colony ships it moves along at a good pace with enough twists and surprises to keep the reader's interest. There is plenty of intrigue and it really is hard to tell where the story is going next.
We have the usual 'hard physics' at work as should be expected in a Reynolds book. Except for the hand wavium 'Chibesa physics' that powers the ships, the laws of physics are rigidly adhered to. Again we see how a battle across millions of miles of space could be achieved.
I found the ending to be satisfying (I have read reviews criticising it). It ties up the story of the earth based Chiku. The story for the colonists is clearly only beginning and the third book in the series is set up neatly in the epilogue, while at the same time providing closure on the fate of the colonists.
My only real criticism of the book (and it in no way detracted from it) was the cloning-and-memory-merging gimmick used for the Chiku clones. Although this neatly allowed the story to move between the colony ships and the solar system, I felt that this had been explored better (and with more justification) in Reynold's novel House Of Suns. Here it just seems to be a 'sci-fieqsue' way of allowing the main protagonists to communicate and empathise across the vast tracts of space and otherwise seemed superfluous given the complex set up.
Overall another excellent book from Reynolds, definitely up there with the best 'space opera' novels. I am looking forward to the third book immensely.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Independent Study (The Testing, #2) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
I personally think <em><a title="The Testing review" href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-testing-by-joelle-charbonneau"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Testing</a></em> was better than <em>Independent Study</em>. The second book in Charbonneau's <em>Testing</em> trilogy is quite literally another testing with higher chances of survival, significantly less paper tests, and an induction to their major. It's really just more testing and then some more.
Malencia (Cia) Vale begins to realize failing isn't allowed, because failing means inevitable fate (but of course, that's been drilled since the first book – this time it's more along the lines of, "So much for relief. I still can't fail or I'm toast.") that she really doesn't want to find out. With the inability to remember to her Testing aside from what she recorded and beginning to question the University's selection process, Cia tries to find ways to take down the Testing peacefully without an all out "let's take down the entire government" rebellion.
At this point in the series, I'm not exactly a huge fan of the overly brilliant main character of the series. I adore Cia's brilliance, and while I think this might actually be Charbonneau's motive (because the series is based off the ACT/SAT), I feel Cia's been over-brillianted – Is that a word? No? I don't care. It is in this sense. – in the series. Cia is basically the only one excelling compared to the rest of her classmates – the average number of classes is six, Cia gets a whopping nine (and that's not counting internships). It's like Cia is set apart deliberately and from all of her classmates, which, of course, would no doubt attract the attention of Villain Squad (yes, <em>squad</em>).
Okay, I don't mind brilliant characters. It means more cruising for me and less of calling the character shallow, innocent, naïve, stupid – anything along those lines. Except...
Cia is a little whiny in <em>Independent Study</em>. She <em>wants</em> to take down the Testing and stop a rebellion, but at the same time, she doesn't want to (mainly because she doesn't want to get caught – she's already sticking out like a weed in a pretty flower garden). She's beginning to rely on Tomas a little too much – "I need to know Tomas's thoughts, I need his advice, I need his opinion on this...."
I don't like it. Even if I completely understand why Cia would do so in a place where every move and word is monitored and tracked by a group of people who can end lives within any reason.
I intend to read <em>Graduation Day</em> for the purposes of closure.
Maybe then I'll have a better understanding of Cia's excelled brilliance and a better understanding of why Cia is becoming reliant on Tomas (aside from the fact they grew up together in the same colony).
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-independent-study-by-joelle-charbonneau/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Malencia (Cia) Vale begins to realize failing isn't allowed, because failing means inevitable fate (but of course, that's been drilled since the first book – this time it's more along the lines of, "So much for relief. I still can't fail or I'm toast.") that she really doesn't want to find out. With the inability to remember to her Testing aside from what she recorded and beginning to question the University's selection process, Cia tries to find ways to take down the Testing peacefully without an all out "let's take down the entire government" rebellion.
At this point in the series, I'm not exactly a huge fan of the overly brilliant main character of the series. I adore Cia's brilliance, and while I think this might actually be Charbonneau's motive (because the series is based off the ACT/SAT), I feel Cia's been over-brillianted – Is that a word? No? I don't care. It is in this sense. – in the series. Cia is basically the only one excelling compared to the rest of her classmates – the average number of classes is six, Cia gets a whopping nine (and that's not counting internships). It's like Cia is set apart deliberately and from all of her classmates, which, of course, would no doubt attract the attention of Villain Squad (yes, <em>squad</em>).
Okay, I don't mind brilliant characters. It means more cruising for me and less of calling the character shallow, innocent, naïve, stupid – anything along those lines. Except...
Cia is a little whiny in <em>Independent Study</em>. She <em>wants</em> to take down the Testing and stop a rebellion, but at the same time, she doesn't want to (mainly because she doesn't want to get caught – she's already sticking out like a weed in a pretty flower garden). She's beginning to rely on Tomas a little too much – "I need to know Tomas's thoughts, I need his advice, I need his opinion on this...."
I don't like it. Even if I completely understand why Cia would do so in a place where every move and word is monitored and tracked by a group of people who can end lives within any reason.
I intend to read <em>Graduation Day</em> for the purposes of closure.
Maybe then I'll have a better understanding of Cia's excelled brilliance and a better understanding of why Cia is becoming reliant on Tomas (aside from the fact they grew up together in the same colony).
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-independent-study-by-joelle-charbonneau/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Indigo Incite (Indigo Trilogy, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
Well, in a few words, Indigo Incite was quite the snooze fest. It has an interesting premise, yes, but quite DULL. There's nothing much going on. Nothing!
It started out interesting, of course, with all those seriously cool powers but over the course of the book, there really was nothing going on. I was really just hoping it would slowly build up and end with a good pow.
It honestly didn't. It was like Nikita in walking through very deep snow motion, and I actually like Nikita. It's certainly not as interesting as Grimm though. I'm not even surprised by the end. It's obvious and doesn't exactly take brains to figure out the most logical answer.
Then again, I could be surprised by the second book, but I'm pretty sure I won't be surprised. I probably won't be surprised on what may happen at the end of the trilogy either, but that's yet to be seen. *doesn't really plan on reading further on the series unless things spice up a notch in action*
<blockquote>A few different people some good, some not so good. Do you have time to talk? My name is Sarah, by the way.</blockquote>
Essentially it's a repeat of "Hi, I'm so and so. Can we talk?" in a different style. I stress SLOW. Too much talking. Less talking, more action. I have a semi-short attention span and I have other books on my review queue to read that are most likely more interesting than a bunch of dialogue. >_<
Let me backtrack a little. Indigo Incite isn't full of dialogue, but it simply felt like it's all talk and no action, if you know what I mean?
Maybe it's the random commas that just felt really out of place. I really thought that was the main reason for the slow going of things. I eventually ignored them, but still... nothing interesting going on. Zzzzz. *yawns*
<blockquote>Come on, boys. Henry waved the gun toward the door. Lets walk. First, Ill take that disc off your hands.</blockquote>
What happens next? ATTENTION: SPOILER ALERT! Hellooo, the police barge in. -_-
Typical bad guy gets caught by the authorities and real life stuffy. -_-
I thought Tyler and Toby would go all Jackie Chan on Henry and things will finally have some SPICE. I adore spices. Particularly cinnamon and does gingerbread marshmallows count? It contains ginger and they're delicious. Quite cheap right after Christmas too. I don't mean those Asian herbs that look like alien fingers, though for all I know they're the same thing. :D
--------------------
Review copy provided by author for review on the blog tour
Original Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Owls
Formatting has been removed due to copy and paste
This review and more can be found at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/01/review-indigo-incite-by-jacinda-buchmann.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi5Rk5yLloA/UtliaUbdL3I/AAAAAAAACbE/J27z92_qrYU/s1600/Official+Banner.png"; />
It started out interesting, of course, with all those seriously cool powers but over the course of the book, there really was nothing going on. I was really just hoping it would slowly build up and end with a good pow.
It honestly didn't. It was like Nikita in walking through very deep snow motion, and I actually like Nikita. It's certainly not as interesting as Grimm though. I'm not even surprised by the end. It's obvious and doesn't exactly take brains to figure out the most logical answer.
Then again, I could be surprised by the second book, but I'm pretty sure I won't be surprised. I probably won't be surprised on what may happen at the end of the trilogy either, but that's yet to be seen. *doesn't really plan on reading further on the series unless things spice up a notch in action*
<blockquote>A few different people some good, some not so good. Do you have time to talk? My name is Sarah, by the way.</blockquote>
Essentially it's a repeat of "Hi, I'm so and so. Can we talk?" in a different style. I stress SLOW. Too much talking. Less talking, more action. I have a semi-short attention span and I have other books on my review queue to read that are most likely more interesting than a bunch of dialogue. >_<
Let me backtrack a little. Indigo Incite isn't full of dialogue, but it simply felt like it's all talk and no action, if you know what I mean?
Maybe it's the random commas that just felt really out of place. I really thought that was the main reason for the slow going of things. I eventually ignored them, but still... nothing interesting going on. Zzzzz. *yawns*
<blockquote>Come on, boys. Henry waved the gun toward the door. Lets walk. First, Ill take that disc off your hands.</blockquote>
What happens next? ATTENTION: SPOILER ALERT! Hellooo, the police barge in. -_-
Typical bad guy gets caught by the authorities and real life stuffy. -_-
I thought Tyler and Toby would go all Jackie Chan on Henry and things will finally have some SPICE. I adore spices. Particularly cinnamon and does gingerbread marshmallows count? It contains ginger and they're delicious. Quite cheap right after Christmas too. I don't mean those Asian herbs that look like alien fingers, though for all I know they're the same thing. :D
--------------------
Review copy provided by author for review on the blog tour
Original Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Owls
Formatting has been removed due to copy and paste
This review and more can be found at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/01/review-indigo-incite-by-jacinda-buchmann.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi5Rk5yLloA/UtliaUbdL3I/AAAAAAAACbE/J27z92_qrYU/s1600/Official+Banner.png"; />