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The System (Killables, #3)
The System (Killables, #3)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I finally got round to reading the conclusion to The Killables trilogy!

It's been quite a long time since I read the first books, so I had forgotten some of the details. But as I read, I started to remember what had happened previously and was able to appreciate the current story.

After escaping the City, Evie, Raffy, Linus and Benjamin are now trapped in a world where everyone is being Watched. People actually made a living off of being Watched by strangers around the world, by having people see their daily lives and every thought. But Thomas, the leader of Infotec, isn't satisfied; he still wants Linus to create the System he had originally thought of.

Frankie is one of the most Watched girls; her boyfriend, Milo, is high-up within Infotec and has really boosted her Watcher numbers. But an anonymous message encourages Frankie to write a blog post about the UK, and Milo suddenly turns pretty hostile. Suddenly Frankie is being thrown in the back of a van, her ID chip removed and given to some random doppelganger now claiming her identity. Frankie isn't about to go down without a fight, though, and with the help of the anonymous messager, she escapes the Infotec enforcers.

There are a lot of switches between the POV this story is being told by, but after few chapters, the characters start to come together in one story.

A group of people are determined to tell the rest of the world about the UK - which was believed to have been destroyed by the Horrors. But Thomas is not going to let that happen easily - he's more than happy to dispose of anyone threatening his company.

The future Malley has created is, in my opinion, quite plausible. Vlogs on YouTube are already super popular, and this isn't that big a step up from that. And the System Thomas wants from Linus is probably not too far-fetched, either.

Frankie and Milo are probably the most important new characters in this book. Frankie was developed pretty well throughout the story, slowly discovering the truth and realising how she had been manipulated by Infotec. She's not a big fan of Evie when they first meet, though, and I kind of thought Malley emphasised that more than was necessary. Milo also developed a bit, but with more of a sudden switch being flicked later in the book.

This was a good conclusion to the trilogy, and I enjoyed reading it. It maybe tries a bit too hard to be edgy, with swear words being thrown around and things like that. Still, I liked it. I felt a bit of Scott Westerfeld's Uglies coming through at times, but not enough that it felt samey or anything. 4 stars for the final Killables book.
  
A Court of Mist and Fury
A Court of Mist and Fury
Sarah J. Maas | 2016 | Young Adult (YA)
10
9.3 (54 Ratings)
Book Rating
Wow. Just wow. There are going to be spoilers in this review, so read at your own peril.

I have actually read this book three times cover to cover since I got it. You could say that I love it, just a bit.

I absolutely adored the character developments. Yes, they were heartbreaking at times (I'm looking at you Feyre), but they were so necessary to be able to move the story along. At first, I was kind of upset that we didn't get all of the mushy romance between Tamlin and Feyre, especially not seeing their engagement, but it all turned around from there. I loved being able to see Feyre struggling with her new body as well as her new mental state. I appreciate Sarah J Maas because she isn't sugar coating the trauma these characters went through. We are living in their heads, so we should expect to see the consequences of what happened Under the Mountain.

That being said, my initial ship of Tamlin and Feyre completely sunk at page 120. I was starting to dislike Tamlin since the beginning of the book since he was so overprotective and he was basically smothering Feyre, but I didn't start to hate him until he locked her up. The literal hate fire that was ebbing off of me while I was reading that was just too much. He disregarded her as being a person who had hopes and dreams and flaws just to make himself feel better about himself.

But now, I am totally team Rhysand!!!! Oh my god, actual knight in shining armor right here. I think he has gone through an amazing character arc as well. In the first book, he was more the arrogant, cocky asshole who seemed to only do things for himself, but in this book, he has become a real person. I loved being able to see his soft side whenever he is around his Inner Circle. His happiness around them is almost infectious! And then him around Feyre is just the cutest thing in the world. I just can't with him. He loves her to a point where he would be willing to make himself suffer to see her happy, which is something Tamlin I don't think would ever do. And then the tension between him and Feyre, holy cow. I loved those scenes. (Especially the more blush worthy scenes, those make me really happy [The Court of Nightmares, the Inn, the Cabin, Starfall, etc.]). It was amazing to see how they complimented each other and actually worked together to make things better. His power is phenomenal and I would not want that going against me, ever.

I really enjoyed how both Rhysand and Feyre have moments where they have to use each other to get out of their nightmares. That is the kind of relationship she needs, someone who helps her deal with her issues while also needing the same help for himself. Being able to see the parallels between the two moments was really cool.

Ugh, and Feyre not being able to paint for the majority of the book was heartbreaking. I loved how it was Rhys who was the one to get her to paint again.

The Inner Circle makes me laugh whenever they are in a scene.

Cassian is adorable. I think he would be like a Labrador puppy just following them around, but being able to get very protective when he needs to be. When he trains Feyre and she breaks down, that broke my heart. Here was a guy who didn't really know her very well, but was willing to stand up for her in ways that Tamlin and Lucien would do. Plus, him and Nesta are going to be a thing, I just know it.

Amren is not someone I would want to get on my bad side. She is intense in all of her feelings, loyalty included. She would kill for any of her friends and would never feel bad about it. I loved how much she stood up for Feyre, even when Feyre didn't really notice her being that kind. I want to know how much power this girl holds, though.

Mor is my spirit animal. She keeps getting up whenever she is kicked down. She stands tall against her family and I appreciate that. And on top of it all, she is still able to smile and be an overall amazing person. Yes, she has made mistakes in the past, but she is living with them and dealing. I want her and Azriel to just be together all ready!! Her moments with Feyre are really sweet because she is constantly reaffirming the feelings without making Feyre feel bad about any of it.

Azriel is intimidating as hell. He honestly terrifies me, but he is still so sweet. Sarah, why do you keep making such amazing characters?!?!?

I love Velaris. I want to live there forever. It was described so beautifully that it was easy to see exactly what they were seeing.

The story line move along very well. I loved how the plot developed. I honestly have no complaints about this book at all.

Like I said, I thought it was necessary for the story to start where it did, especially with the bad relations between her and Tamlin. The wedding was important too because it showed how much she had changed, how much she didn't want to be in that relationship any longer. When Rhys showed up, he was her savior, but she didn't know it at the time. She didn't know that they had more of a connection than she thought. I don't like what Tamlin and Lucien forced her to do. They didn't think about any of her issues with anything they may have done--especially forcing her to spy for them on Rhys, the only person besides Alys who cares about her well being.

Her learning how to read was just like I thought it would be. Rhys' sentences he made her copy were adorably brilliant.

I honestly think my favorite part of this novel would have to be a tie between Starfall, the Court of Nightmares, and the cabin in the woods. Each of these scenes were, in their own right, moments where Feyre finally let herself be happy, let herself feel more than despair and hatred for what she had done. You can feel a shift in her in each of these moments as well.

I think the major plot movements went very well. Starting with Feyre having to prove to herself that she wasn't a porcelain doll to be able to use her powers to be able to go against the King of Hybern. All of it was connected and based on what she had previously gone through. Even the relationships had to be fleshed out enough in the beginning to get to the ending in a realistic and understandable way.

And OH MY GOD MATING BOND!!!!!!!!!! So freaking great. I loved being able to see it in action. ;D

If you liked A Court of Thorns and Roses, you are going to like this one even more. The story is much more fleshed out and the characters feel more realistic.

Overall, I think I am going to be reading this book over and over again for the foreseeable future!! (Also, can someone get me a Rhys? I need one. Now.)

I honestly cannot stop reading this book. As of 22 Mar 2018, I have read it about 10 times
  
A Court of Mist and Fury
A Court of Mist and Fury
Sarah J. Maas | 2016 | Young Adult (YA)
10
9.3 (54 Ratings)
Book Rating
Wow. Just wow. There are going to be spoilers in this review, so read at your own peril.

I have actually read this book three times cover to cover since I got it. You could say that I love it, just a bit.

I absolutely adored the character developments. Yes, they were heartbreaking at times (I'm looking at you Feyre), but they were so necessary to be able to move the story along. At first, I was kind of upset that we didn't get all of the mushy romance between Tamlin and Feyre, especially not seeing their engagement, but it all turned around from there. I loved being able to see Feyre struggling with her new body as well as her new mental state. I appreciate Sarah J Maas because she isn't sugar coating the trauma these characters went through. We are living in their heads, so we should expect to see the consequences of what happened Under the Mountain.

That being said, my initial ship of Tamlin and Feyre completely sunk at page 120. I was starting to dislike Tamlin since the beginning of the book since he was so overprotective and he was basically smothering Feyre, but I didn't start to hate him until he locked her up. The literal hate fire that was ebbing off of me while I was reading that was just too much. He disregarded her as being a person who had hopes and dreams and flaws just to make himself feel better about himself.

But now, I am totally team Rhysand!!!! Oh my god, actual knight in shining armor right here. I think he has gone through an amazing character arc as well. In the first book, he was more the arrogant, cocky asshole who seemed to only do things for himself, but in this book, he has become a real person. I loved being able to see his soft side whenever he is around his Inner Circle. His happiness around them is almost infectious! And then him around Feyre is just the cutest thing in the world. I just can't with him. He loves her to a point where he would be willing to make himself suffer to see her happy, which is something Tamlin I don't think would ever do. And then the tension between him and Feyre, holy cow. I loved those scenes. (Especially the more blush worthy scenes, those make me really happy [The Court of Nightmares, the Inn, the Cabin, Starfall, etc.]). It was amazing to see how they complimented each other and actually worked together to make things better. His power is phenomenal and I would not want that going against me, ever.

I really enjoyed how both Rhysand and Feyre have moments where they have to use each other to get out of their nightmares. That is the kind of relationship she needs, someone who helps her deal with her issues while also needing the same help for himself. Being able to see the parallels between the two moments was really cool.

Ugh, and Feyre not being able to paint for the majority of the book was heartbreaking. I loved how it was Rhys who was the one to get her to paint again.

The Inner Circle makes me laugh whenever they are in a scene.

Cassian is adorable. I think he would be like a Labrador puppy just following them around, but being able to get very protective when he needs to be. When he trains Feyre and she breaks down, that broke my heart. Here was a guy who didn't really know her very well, but was willing to stand up for her in ways that Tamlin and Lucien would do. Plus, him and Nesta are going to be a thing, I just know it.

Amren is not someone I would want to get on my bad side. She is intense in all of her feelings, loyalty included. She would kill for any of her friends and would never feel bad about it. I loved how much she stood up for Feyre, even when Feyre didn't really notice her being that kind. I want to know how much power this girl holds, though.

Mor is my spirit animal. She keeps getting up whenever she is kicked down. She stands tall against her family and I appreciate that. And on top of it all, she is still able to smile and be an overall amazing person. Yes, she has made mistakes in the past, but she is living with them and dealing. I want her and Azriel to just be together all ready!! Her moments with Feyre are really sweet because she is constantly reaffirming the feelings without making Feyre feel bad about any of it.

Azriel is intimidating as hell. He honestly terrifies me, but he is still so sweet. Sarah, why do you keep making such amazing characters?!?!?

I love Velaris. I want to live there forever. It was described so beautifully that it was easy to see exactly what they were seeing.

The story line move along very well. I loved how the plot developed. I honestly have no complaints about this book at all.

Like I said, I thought it was necessary for the story to start where it did, especially with the bad relations between her and Tamlin. The wedding was important too because it showed how much she had changed, how much she didn't want to be in that relationship any longer. When Rhys showed up, he was her savior, but she didn't know it at the time. She didn't know that they had more of a connection than she thought. I don't like what Tamlin and Lucien forced her to do. They didn't think about any of her issues with anything they may have done--especially forcing her to spy for them on Rhys, the only person besides Alys who cares about her well being.

Her learning how to read was just like I thought it would be. Rhys' sentences he made her copy were adorably brilliant.

I honestly think my favorite part of this novel would have to be a tie between Starfall, the Court of Nightmares, and the cabin in the woods. Each of these scenes were, in their own right, moments where Feyre finally let herself be happy, let herself feel more than despair and hatred for what she had done. You can feel a shift in her in each of these moments as well.

I think the major plot movements went very well. Starting with Feyre having to prove to herself that she wasn't a porcelain doll to be able to use her powers to be able to go against the King of Hybern. All of it was connected and based on what she had previously gone through. Even the relationships had to be fleshed out enough in the beginning to get to the ending in a realistic and understandable way.

And OH MY GOD MATING BOND!!!!!!!!!! So freaking great. I loved being able to see it in action. ;D

If you liked A Court of Thorns and Roses, you are going to like this one even more. The story is much more fleshed out and the characters feel more realistic.

Overall, I think I am going to be reading this book over and over again for the foreseeable future!! (Also, can someone get me a Rhys? I need one. Now.)

I honestly cannot stop reading this book. As of 16 May 2016, I have read it 4 times.
  
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Ross (3284 KP) rated Stormblood in Books

Jul 14, 2020  
Stormblood
Stormblood
Jeremy Szal | 2020 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Fairly mediocre sci-fi
I received an advance copy of this book from the publishers and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Stormblood is set in a world where the human race has agreed terms with numerous alien races and Harmony governs the included races (the Common). Vakov Fukasawa (a character whose name is more fun to say than he is to read about) is a retired Reaper - that is, he was injected with alien DNA which gave him the rage and healing powers needed to become a super-soldier in the earlier Reaper Wars. He is hired to investigate reports of attacks on or attacks by his former colleagues, as reports of them "bluing-out" and dealing out devastation are mounting. This may well involve him being pitted against his younger brother who feels Vakov abandoned him to their cruel father.
Throughout the book, the story is told purely by telling the reader. Fukasawa finds himself in an extreme situation, having thrown himself in recklessly, and is almost always captured, told some crucial details, which dictate the next stage of the plot, and escapes or is rescued.
The world-building had so much promise, being a form of city built in an asteroid. However it wasn't very well described and I felt quite lost and really struggled to picture the setting. At times I had completely forgotten where the action was happening, and why.
The narrative is quite frustrating as well. What starts off as nice flowing narration with analogies, similes and metaphors, this quickly becomes at the expense of the pacing of the book. A number of times someone responded to a statement that was several paragraphs previous, with thick descriptions and side-tracked passages coming in between, making the reader go back and see what they were responding to.
As with most modern sci-fi, a number of cringeworthy technical terms have been made up and are not explained well enough to allow all but the most avid sci-fi tech-nerd to picture what they are supposed to refer to. See "slingshiv", "thin-gun", "micronades" etc etc. At times, these terms were used so frequently in long rambling passages listing tech and armoury that it may as well have been in a foreign language.
Speaking of which, the world the book takes place in is very reminiscent of Richard Morgan's Altered Carbon, even down to the part-Eastern European/part Japanese names. Fans of those books (which I suffered with similarly on the made-up technical terms) may enjoy this.
Overall, a great idea but needs some work on the pacing, how the plot is revealed (i.e. using different tricks and scenarios) and the narrative.
  
Innocence & Despair by The Langley Schools Music Project
Innocence & Despair by The Langley Schools Music Project
2001 | Rock
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"I really like to do covers, but the idea of a children's choir doing such classic songs and interpreting them… In 'Space Oddity' there's 'ding!', one vibraphone hit that's totally out of time and a tambourine will go at the same moment and then there's "ground control to Major Tom", these little kids - you can imagine them being really stoic and really getting behind what they were singing and being so serious about it. And then there's little jangly guitars that are so 70s as well, you can almost hear the school wall. People would do anything now to record an album that sounded like it was in a 70s school, but that wasn't them trying to be cool, that was them being who they were and what they were doing. And then 'Desperado', there's a nine-year-old girl who sings, like the quietest voice I've ever heard, but they've mic'ed it up so well. I purposefully try sometimes to mic up my voice really quietly so it sounds like you're being told a secret. This little girl, her voice is shaking, but it's the most gentle sound - it's like when a little child reaches up and touches your face, that feeling of… it's called Innocence & Despair - they're absolute innocents, but they're also singing songs like 'Desperado' and "oh Mandy, you came and you gave without taking and I pushed away", but it's seven-, ten-, 12-year-olds singing. 'Space Oddity', the fact that that's about a spaceman just stuck out in space just drifting away, and they do make it sound quite psychedelic and eccentric and funny. And the shambolicness of it is so cool. What I like is that so many people try to do that, that faux-childishness, and this guy who was running it was obviously a passionate, avid music lover of that time, and persuaded the school and the parents to let these kids sing pop music, which then was pushing boundaries. It's beautiful. He [Hans Fenger, organiser/arranger of project] really managed to pull something together. I think it all comes down to the beauty of being not self-aware. They're aware, they're trying their best, but it's like the older you get I suppose the more you feel nostalgic about those times and that feeling. Picasso and Matisse and great artists have always been trying to get back to childhood. You get to a certain stage and you want to revisit, but trying to keep that childhood alive is almost the hardest thing, because you build up all these layers of self-awareness and what you want to project and how you want to do it. Even now when I watch Glee and all that shit, all these kids have got the dance routines down - I'm sad that there's no one being this shit anymore. You should be a bit shit when you're little, because that's the freedom. Having perfectly scaled voices, and projecting, and knowing how to communicate with your audience. It's just like, "really? Is that what it's about or is this what it's about?": a bunch of kids getting together, loving it and making mistakes and not caring and sounding a bit out of tune. "I'm going to play my vibraphone part, it's in the wrong place, but I loved it, I'm going to do it again!" Just one note, in the wrong place, amazing. You're playing David Bowie and you're seven, what more is there?"

Source
  
Doctor Who - Series 1 (New Season - 1)
Doctor Who - Series 1 (New Season - 1)
2005 | Sci-Fi
Rebirth of a great show (3 more)
Russell T Davies
Stephan Moffatt
Billie Piper
The ReBirth of Doctor who
Wether your a old doctor who fan or new to the show Christopher Eccleston performance launched the new generation of Doctor who to a much wider audience across the world. Bille Piper performance as Rose is relatable and bring humour to counter Eccelstons sterner side.

Show runners Russel T Davies and Stephan Moffat make a great team with Moffat being a great writer to invoke your inner fears the monsters he creates are top notch and Russel T Davies keeps the series well run and created thw Arc structure that Moffat fails at in later series.


Not to mention it always good to have cybermen darleck back on our tv screens
  
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Hazel (2934 KP) rated Die of Shame in Books

Jan 12, 2018  
DO
Die of Shame
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I am a huge Mark Billingham fan and am at the front of the queue when a new book comes out so it is with massive regret that I have to say that this one just didn’t grab me by the neck like his other books have - you have no idea how upset this makes me feel. It’s not that it is a bad book - it’s well written, has interesting characters and a good story line - but I found myself being rather indifferent about reading it and it took me a little longer than it normally does to read it when I compare it to others written by the same author.

Review at <a href="https://readingstuffnthings.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/synopsis-from-goodreads-from-british.html">Reading Stuff 'n' Things</a>
  
I received [Save By Roy] as an advanced readers copy. I am a HUGE hockey fan and have the utmost respect for Patrick Roy(although as a New York Rangers fan I hate him with a passion.) I was really excited to read this book and I was not disappointed. It was well written and was almost like a written version of 24/7 on NHL network. It had insider points of view that regular fans don't get. The fact that Roy managed to bring this team to the playoffs after being almost last in the league the season before (only Florida was worse and they don't count) in the amazingly tough Western Conference was amazing. All hockey fans should read this book (even if Roy made you cry when you were younger).
  
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Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Unbroken in Books

Jan 15, 2018  
Unbroken
Unbroken
Laura Hillenbrand | 2016 | Biography
8
9.6 (9 Ratings)
Book Rating
Louie Zamperini is an amazingly inspiring human being. Unbroken tells the story of his life from his family's move to California due to a bout of pneumonia to his life into his 90s. He went through hell and fought his way back. He went from the deepest, darkest depths of human suffering and emotion to putting himself in a position to help other "lost boys."
This book was a tough read. It is hard to imagine that what Louie lived through is even possible, let alone that people really did experience it and lived to tell the tale... and it is a truly amazing tale. I found myself smiling, horrified, laughing, and with tears streaming down my face through the course of this book. It was a wild ride and well worth the read!
  
Five Quarters Of The Orange
Five Quarters Of The Orange
Joanne Harris | 2001 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
I am always fascinated with any novel, fiction or otherwise, that is set in the time of World War II. This book took me a bit longer to get in to than is typical of a book set in this time period. But the end made it well worth the wait.
At times it is hard to follow because it bounces back & forth between Boise's life currently & her childhood spent in a small village in France during WWII. The story itself didn't form fully for me until it ended...all the loose ends were tied up & the events up to that point finally made sense. The 1 thing that frustrated me was Mirabelle, the mother. I was left not being quite sure whether or not she was really crazy.