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Phil Maxwell (25 KP) rated Blood of Elves in Books
Apr 5, 2020
Great pace (2 more)
Countries, Wars and Politics all well described
Believable characters and understandable plotline.
A magnificent start by Andrzej Sapkowk
I was a relative latecomer to The Witcher series of books, but gosh am I glad I found out about them.
I had only played the video games before then (and absolutely loved them, by the way). This kind of worked in my favour though, as once I started reading Blood Of Elves I already had a broad knowledge of the countries involved, the wars and battles that had occurred, and of course the lovely (and not so lovely) cast of characters within.
Andrzej Sapkowski's writing style was fluid throughout and kept the story moving at an enjoyable pace. Not once did I find myself thinking it was going too slow or too fast.
His descriptions of the different locales were top notch fantasy fayre, as were those of main characters Geralt, Yennefer, Ciri, Triss, Dandelion and it's bit players also.
To say I was enthralled by Sapkowksi's first Witcher story is putting it lightly. I could barely put it down and every little bit of spare time I had was devoted to reading Blood Of Elves. I am now working my way through Time Of Contempt (The second installment) and am finding it equally as enjoyable, if not more so.
I had only played the video games before then (and absolutely loved them, by the way). This kind of worked in my favour though, as once I started reading Blood Of Elves I already had a broad knowledge of the countries involved, the wars and battles that had occurred, and of course the lovely (and not so lovely) cast of characters within.
Andrzej Sapkowski's writing style was fluid throughout and kept the story moving at an enjoyable pace. Not once did I find myself thinking it was going too slow or too fast.
His descriptions of the different locales were top notch fantasy fayre, as were those of main characters Geralt, Yennefer, Ciri, Triss, Dandelion and it's bit players also.
To say I was enthralled by Sapkowksi's first Witcher story is putting it lightly. I could barely put it down and every little bit of spare time I had was devoted to reading Blood Of Elves. I am now working my way through Time Of Contempt (The second installment) and am finding it equally as enjoyable, if not more so.
Wars of the Roses: Stormbird
9.0
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Historical fiction master Conn Iggulden retells the gripping story of the English Civil War in this...
David McK (3801 KP) rated Sharpe's Rifles in TV
Jul 11, 2021
The first of the Sharpe adaptations from the early-to mid '90s, based on what was then the earlies set novel in Bernard Cornwell's long-running series set during the Napoleonic Wars.
I say what-was-then, because - since the culmination of the various TV movies, and even right up to date (the most recent to be released in a few months time, in late 2021), Cornwell has released plenty more such novels, quite a few of which are set even before the start of the Napoleonic Wars, never mind those set 'in-between' the core set of novels; said set of which provided the basis for the TV adaptations.
And that is what these are: an adaptation, rather than a straight re-telling. Sharpe, for instance, is supposed to be a dark haired Londoner rather than fair-haired Cockney (although Sean Bean's portrayal would win over Cornwell, who would later 'retrofit' his character to be closer to Sean Bean). That is probably for the better: literature and film, after all, are two distinct mediums: what works in one may not work in another.
To this day, though, I would still love to see a proper big-screen adaptation, with the budget to match, of one of these stories ...
I say what-was-then, because - since the culmination of the various TV movies, and even right up to date (the most recent to be released in a few months time, in late 2021), Cornwell has released plenty more such novels, quite a few of which are set even before the start of the Napoleonic Wars, never mind those set 'in-between' the core set of novels; said set of which provided the basis for the TV adaptations.
And that is what these are: an adaptation, rather than a straight re-telling. Sharpe, for instance, is supposed to be a dark haired Londoner rather than fair-haired Cockney (although Sean Bean's portrayal would win over Cornwell, who would later 'retrofit' his character to be closer to Sean Bean). That is probably for the better: literature and film, after all, are two distinct mediums: what works in one may not work in another.
To this day, though, I would still love to see a proper big-screen adaptation, with the budget to match, of one of these stories ...
Herodotus: A Very Short Introduction
Book
Herodotus has come to be respected by most scholars as a responsible and important historian....
Tudor Dawn: Henry Tudor is ready to take the crown (The Tudor Series Book 1)
8.0
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The rise of the Royal House of Tudor! Perfect for fans of Conn Iggulden, Robyn Young, Alison Weir...
Tudors Historical Fiction
David McK (3801 KP) rated Stormchild in Books
Oct 19, 2025
As an author, Bernard Cornwell is probably better known for writing historical fiction: the Sharpe series (set during the Napoleonic Wars), say, or the Uhtred of Bebbanburg series (in and around the time of Alfred the Great).
What is not so well, known, however, are his more contemporaneous 'Sailing thrillers'.
Of which there are currently five (Wildtrack, Sea Lord, Crackdown, Stormchild and Scoundrel)
with this being the fourth published in that, totally unconnected to each other, series and also coincidentally the fourth I read (I've yet to read Crackdown).
In this one, published during the early 1990s, Cornwell's hero of the novel is a man who, following the death of his wife in an explosion at sea (itself following the death of his son in a bombing in Northern Ireland) is trying to track down his long-lost daughter, who was last seen sailing away from him to join a cult of what-proves-to-be extremist environmentalist.
Bold choice.
Making the environmentalists the baddies.
To be clear, they're portrayed here - or, at least, the (fictional) cult that she has joined - more as extremists than environmentalists.
Like I suspect many others, I found this to be an enjoyable enough read but not up to the standards of his Cornwell's usual historical fiction works. Which the man himself acknowledges on his own website: "I enjoyed writing the thrillers, but suspect I am happier writing historical novels ..."
What is not so well, known, however, are his more contemporaneous 'Sailing thrillers'.
Of which there are currently five (Wildtrack, Sea Lord, Crackdown, Stormchild and Scoundrel)
with this being the fourth published in that, totally unconnected to each other, series and also coincidentally the fourth I read (I've yet to read Crackdown).
In this one, published during the early 1990s, Cornwell's hero of the novel is a man who, following the death of his wife in an explosion at sea (itself following the death of his son in a bombing in Northern Ireland) is trying to track down his long-lost daughter, who was last seen sailing away from him to join a cult of what-proves-to-be extremist environmentalist.
Bold choice.
Making the environmentalists the baddies.
To be clear, they're portrayed here - or, at least, the (fictional) cult that she has joined - more as extremists than environmentalists.
Like I suspect many others, I found this to be an enjoyable enough read but not up to the standards of his Cornwell's usual historical fiction works. Which the man himself acknowledges on his own website: "I enjoyed writing the thrillers, but suspect I am happier writing historical novels ..."
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
Does it live up to the hype?
When it came to choosing a director for Star Wars: the Force Awakens, there really was only one choice: J.J Abrams. He had the difficult task of bringing the beloved Star Trek series back onto the big screen after numerous misfiring movies and did so with two near-perfect films.
With Episode VII of the sci-fi soap opera proving to be the most-hyped movie of the last decade, Abrams had a lot riding on this film. But does it live up to it all?
Following on from the events of Return of the Jedi, Episode VII follows the story of the First Order – born from the remains of the Empire destroyed at the end of the original trilogy. Taking them on is the Resistance, aka the good guys. That’s as much as I will say about the story, as anymore would be venturing dangerously close to spoiler territory.
A whole host of new characters join the old blood fans have been dying to see for years and the exceptional writing here means they blend seamlessly together without the need to delve into sickly nostalgia. That’s not to say there isn’t any nostalgia of course, but it’s tastefully referenced.
Of the newcomers, Daisy Ridley’s scavenger Rey and John Boyega’s disillusioned Stormtrooper Finn make the most impact and are commanding in each of their many action sequences; their acting prowess is impeccable considering their lack of experience in big blockbusters.
Elsewhere, the much-marketed ball droid BB-8 ends up becoming one of the most memorable characters to grace the series and is up there with R2-D2 and C-3P0 and will no doubt become a fan favourite as the new trilogy progresses.
It’s wonderful to see J.J Abrams grounding Star Wars with its roots. Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford certainly look different to how we remember them, but their characters still remain the feisty figures that we know and love, though a little more of Leia would be welcome throughout The Force Awakens.
Over on the dark side, Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren is a menacing presence. His many tantrums are a joy to watch and you can feel the evil radiating from him. He’s most definitely deserving of a place in the Star Wars Villain Hall of Fame and makes more of an impact than any of the bad guys in the prequel trilogy.
The special effects are absolutely sublime. Beautiful sets and stunning planets are brilliantly juxtaposed with intergalactic dogfights featuring some of the series’ much-loved ships and yes the Millennium Falcon looks as good as ever. The action sequences are filmed with such confidence that every single frame looks 100% convincing.
It’s impossible to know where Abrams has chosen to use CGI and when he has opted for good old practical effects. This is how film-making should be and The Force Awakens is all the better for it.
Unfortunately, the story is somewhat lacking. A near carbon-copy of what we saw in A New Hope means it’s easy to see where the film is going from the off and while this doesn’t detract from the overall viewing experience, it would have been nice to have something a little more original to really sink your teeth into.
Nevertheless, this is a film with a fantastic sense of humour. Abrams and writing partners Lawrence Kasdan and Michael Arndt have managed to inject some genuinely funny moments – most of them involving BB-8 – into the film’s 135 minute running time.
Overall, J.J Abrams need not worry. Star Wars: the Force Awakens has topped off a year that has included some incredible films and this is one to add to the list. With some of the best special effects ever put to the big screen and a cast of intriguing and memorable characters, Episode VII is the film that fans of the series deserve and there’s a lot for newcomers to enjoy too.
Does it live up to the hype? Not quite, but it’s a memorable movie nonetheless.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/12/20/does-it-live-up-to-the-hype-star-wars-the-force-awakens-review/
With Episode VII of the sci-fi soap opera proving to be the most-hyped movie of the last decade, Abrams had a lot riding on this film. But does it live up to it all?
Following on from the events of Return of the Jedi, Episode VII follows the story of the First Order – born from the remains of the Empire destroyed at the end of the original trilogy. Taking them on is the Resistance, aka the good guys. That’s as much as I will say about the story, as anymore would be venturing dangerously close to spoiler territory.
A whole host of new characters join the old blood fans have been dying to see for years and the exceptional writing here means they blend seamlessly together without the need to delve into sickly nostalgia. That’s not to say there isn’t any nostalgia of course, but it’s tastefully referenced.
Of the newcomers, Daisy Ridley’s scavenger Rey and John Boyega’s disillusioned Stormtrooper Finn make the most impact and are commanding in each of their many action sequences; their acting prowess is impeccable considering their lack of experience in big blockbusters.
Elsewhere, the much-marketed ball droid BB-8 ends up becoming one of the most memorable characters to grace the series and is up there with R2-D2 and C-3P0 and will no doubt become a fan favourite as the new trilogy progresses.
It’s wonderful to see J.J Abrams grounding Star Wars with its roots. Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford certainly look different to how we remember them, but their characters still remain the feisty figures that we know and love, though a little more of Leia would be welcome throughout The Force Awakens.
Over on the dark side, Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren is a menacing presence. His many tantrums are a joy to watch and you can feel the evil radiating from him. He’s most definitely deserving of a place in the Star Wars Villain Hall of Fame and makes more of an impact than any of the bad guys in the prequel trilogy.
The special effects are absolutely sublime. Beautiful sets and stunning planets are brilliantly juxtaposed with intergalactic dogfights featuring some of the series’ much-loved ships and yes the Millennium Falcon looks as good as ever. The action sequences are filmed with such confidence that every single frame looks 100% convincing.
It’s impossible to know where Abrams has chosen to use CGI and when he has opted for good old practical effects. This is how film-making should be and The Force Awakens is all the better for it.
Unfortunately, the story is somewhat lacking. A near carbon-copy of what we saw in A New Hope means it’s easy to see where the film is going from the off and while this doesn’t detract from the overall viewing experience, it would have been nice to have something a little more original to really sink your teeth into.
Nevertheless, this is a film with a fantastic sense of humour. Abrams and writing partners Lawrence Kasdan and Michael Arndt have managed to inject some genuinely funny moments – most of them involving BB-8 – into the film’s 135 minute running time.
Overall, J.J Abrams need not worry. Star Wars: the Force Awakens has topped off a year that has included some incredible films and this is one to add to the list. With some of the best special effects ever put to the big screen and a cast of intriguing and memorable characters, Episode VII is the film that fans of the series deserve and there’s a lot for newcomers to enjoy too.
Does it live up to the hype? Not quite, but it’s a memorable movie nonetheless.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/12/20/does-it-live-up-to-the-hype-star-wars-the-force-awakens-review/
Commander Toad and his crew aboard the Star Warts have found a new planet to explore. But when Lieutenant Lily starts sneezing and the Commander Toad gets swallow in a giant red bump, they may be facing more than they bargained for.
I recently remembered this series from when I was younger, and it seems like it’s not as popular as it once was. That’s a shame. While the story and characters are a bit simple, they are fun. Once we get the introductions out of the way, the story is interesting, and will definitely connect with young readers. Adults will love the spoofs on Star Wars and Star Trek and everyone will groan at the grape puns.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/07/book-review-commander-toad-and-planet.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I recently remembered this series from when I was younger, and it seems like it’s not as popular as it once was. That’s a shame. While the story and characters are a bit simple, they are fun. Once we get the introductions out of the way, the story is interesting, and will definitely connect with young readers. Adults will love the spoofs on Star Wars and Star Trek and everyone will groan at the grape puns.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2015/07/book-review-commander-toad-and-planet.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Adam Savage’s Tested
4.5
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Host of Discovery Channel's long-running series MythBusters, Adam Savage has spent his life making...