Search
Search results
Awix (3310 KP) rated Godzilla Vs Biollante (1989) in Movies
Feb 8, 2018 (Updated Feb 8, 2018)
The Rise of the Rose of the Risen Dead
Toho Studios held a competition to find the plot for their next Godzilla movie after the semi-reboot of the series in 1984, and this is the film that resulted from the winning idea. Heaven knows what the losing entries must have been like, because this is a tale dripping with utter insanity of a kind you just don't get in conventional western movies.
Scientists hoping to grow extra-resilient genetically-modified wheat give some harvested Godzilla cells to a brilliant scientist who has been left unhinged by the death of his lovely young daughter in a terrorist attack. The scientist promptly decides to use the G-cells to create a new form of hybrid rose (as you would), which starts to exhibit worrying Godzilla-ish tendencies (demolishing the greenhouse and heading off across country, for instance). It transpires the new creature is possessed by the spirit of the scientist's daughter. 'I think now I may have made a mistake,' admits the scientist, in one of the great movie understatements.
Not to worry, for Godzilla himself erupts from the volcanic prison he was stuck in at the end of the previous film, and the new creature (Biollante, in case you haven't already figured it out) may be able to lend a hand in sorting him out. There is also a slightly dull subplot about evil American corporations and spies from the desert nation of Saradia (i.e. Saudi Arabia) which sometimes gets in the way of the monster action.
Well, if you've ever wanted to see cinema's most famous mutant nuclear dinosaur battling a botanical semi-clone of himself which has been possessed by the ghost of a young woman, this is the movie for you. Actually, this is a cut above most Godzilla movies of this period, being filled with (admittedly mad) ideas and actually keeping Godzilla at the centre of the plot. The monsters look good and it treats them with a welcome seriousness. Unfortunately, the poor box office for this outing led Toho to adopt a policy of bringing back old favourites in subsequent movies, rather than new monsters, but this is a refreshingly different and rather well-made Godzilla film.
Scientists hoping to grow extra-resilient genetically-modified wheat give some harvested Godzilla cells to a brilliant scientist who has been left unhinged by the death of his lovely young daughter in a terrorist attack. The scientist promptly decides to use the G-cells to create a new form of hybrid rose (as you would), which starts to exhibit worrying Godzilla-ish tendencies (demolishing the greenhouse and heading off across country, for instance). It transpires the new creature is possessed by the spirit of the scientist's daughter. 'I think now I may have made a mistake,' admits the scientist, in one of the great movie understatements.
Not to worry, for Godzilla himself erupts from the volcanic prison he was stuck in at the end of the previous film, and the new creature (Biollante, in case you haven't already figured it out) may be able to lend a hand in sorting him out. There is also a slightly dull subplot about evil American corporations and spies from the desert nation of Saradia (i.e. Saudi Arabia) which sometimes gets in the way of the monster action.
Well, if you've ever wanted to see cinema's most famous mutant nuclear dinosaur battling a botanical semi-clone of himself which has been possessed by the ghost of a young woman, this is the movie for you. Actually, this is a cut above most Godzilla movies of this period, being filled with (admittedly mad) ideas and actually keeping Godzilla at the centre of the plot. The monsters look good and it treats them with a welcome seriousness. Unfortunately, the poor box office for this outing led Toho to adopt a policy of bringing back old favourites in subsequent movies, rather than new monsters, but this is a refreshingly different and rather well-made Godzilla film.
Sensitivemuse (246 KP) rated The Creeping in Books
Jan 24, 2018
Loved the thrill and mystery, not the characters
***Spoilers ahead you have been warned***
What really got me turning the pages in this book was the horror and mystery aspect. It set the mood and the setting perfectly. It certainly gave you the necessary thrills and chills to keep you interested in the book. There’s some supernatural element to the story but as you progress into the finale well, answers will be revealed in time. :)
I loved the plot, the setting and the mood. There was no stalling. No dry bits. It was perfect flow throughout the book. This was so excellently written that I completely bypassed my extreme dislike for the characters. (Yes the plot was that good.)
So onto the characters. I just don’t like Stella. Not only is she particularly nasty to Sam, but her attitude and personality just stinks all around. She’s your typical mean girl (or should I say, the Queen Bee’s lackey?). I hated her treatment towards Sam, and Sam being your typical nice guy takes it like a doormat. Oh and he gets walked on not one, not twice but more than enough times to count. You know what this smells like? This smells like a dysfunctional relationship heading towards some horrible form of co-dependency. It’s horrible to read and if this is some sort of messed up way of redeeming Stella for all the things she’s done, I hardly think this qualifies.
True, Stella had a pretty traumatizing event happened to her. But I can’t sympathize with her behaviour. Zoey is just as bad and just as spiteful but one thing she had going for her was her extreme loyalty. I had to admit that was something you need in a best friend. Minus the Queen Bee behaviour of course.
This is one of the few books where I disliked the characters, but the plot just kept me reading. The elements of mystery was so well done that I enjoyed reading this one. I would recommend this one for the plot, but don’t expect to like the characters much. But thankfully they don’t make a negative impact on the plot at all.
What really got me turning the pages in this book was the horror and mystery aspect. It set the mood and the setting perfectly. It certainly gave you the necessary thrills and chills to keep you interested in the book. There’s some supernatural element to the story but as you progress into the finale well, answers will be revealed in time. :)
I loved the plot, the setting and the mood. There was no stalling. No dry bits. It was perfect flow throughout the book. This was so excellently written that I completely bypassed my extreme dislike for the characters. (Yes the plot was that good.)
So onto the characters. I just don’t like Stella. Not only is she particularly nasty to Sam, but her attitude and personality just stinks all around. She’s your typical mean girl (or should I say, the Queen Bee’s lackey?). I hated her treatment towards Sam, and Sam being your typical nice guy takes it like a doormat. Oh and he gets walked on not one, not twice but more than enough times to count. You know what this smells like? This smells like a dysfunctional relationship heading towards some horrible form of co-dependency. It’s horrible to read and if this is some sort of messed up way of redeeming Stella for all the things she’s done, I hardly think this qualifies.
True, Stella had a pretty traumatizing event happened to her. But I can’t sympathize with her behaviour. Zoey is just as bad and just as spiteful but one thing she had going for her was her extreme loyalty. I had to admit that was something you need in a best friend. Minus the Queen Bee behaviour of course.
This is one of the few books where I disliked the characters, but the plot just kept me reading. The elements of mystery was so well done that I enjoyed reading this one. I would recommend this one for the plot, but don’t expect to like the characters much. But thankfully they don’t make a negative impact on the plot at all.
Lilyn G - Sci-Fi & Scary (91 KP) rated The Sleeper in Books
Feb 1, 2018
Interesting elements for a kids book
The Sleeper is a 96-page science fiction mystery early chapter book. It comes with a few accompanying discussion questions at the back, as well as with some writing prompts and a basic glossary. These writing prompts encourage the reader to continue to interact with the story on their own terms. It plunges the reader right into a world that is theoretically just a few days away from getting destroyed by aliens. But the viewpoint the story is being told from is different than you might expect.
The illustrations in The Sleeper are black and white and surprisingly creepy. The illustrator, Tom Percival, does a solid job doing things like showing how even a smile can be rather disturbing. Nothing is graphic or outright scary at all, and yet readers can definitely experience an unease just looking at the pictures.
The Sleeper introduces the concept of a sleeper agent to young readers. I thought this was interesting and wasn't expecting it even though the title should have been a dead giveaway. In my defense, the cover for The Sleeper and the two line synopsis don't exactly tell you what to expect other than aliens!
While there are several good points to The Sleeper, I can't say I particularly liked it. It felt too brief and even though the discussion questions invite the reader to continue the story, it ends on a massive cliffhanger regarding one of the kids' fate. This may be deliberate, and for younger readers, it may actually work out well. It enables the child to feel a sense of accomplishment that they finished a book, and yet provides the impetus for them to pick up the next one. (Still made me twitch as it reeks too much of the chop-job that some authors like to do to a plot to sell more books.)
Overall, The Sleeper was an okay read. If it gets even a handful of kids interested enough to pick up another book, then it is has done its job. And, as always, it's nice to see a beginning chapter book that focuses on science fiction!
The illustrations in The Sleeper are black and white and surprisingly creepy. The illustrator, Tom Percival, does a solid job doing things like showing how even a smile can be rather disturbing. Nothing is graphic or outright scary at all, and yet readers can definitely experience an unease just looking at the pictures.
The Sleeper introduces the concept of a sleeper agent to young readers. I thought this was interesting and wasn't expecting it even though the title should have been a dead giveaway. In my defense, the cover for The Sleeper and the two line synopsis don't exactly tell you what to expect other than aliens!
While there are several good points to The Sleeper, I can't say I particularly liked it. It felt too brief and even though the discussion questions invite the reader to continue the story, it ends on a massive cliffhanger regarding one of the kids' fate. This may be deliberate, and for younger readers, it may actually work out well. It enables the child to feel a sense of accomplishment that they finished a book, and yet provides the impetus for them to pick up the next one. (Still made me twitch as it reeks too much of the chop-job that some authors like to do to a plot to sell more books.)
Overall, The Sleeper was an okay read. If it gets even a handful of kids interested enough to pick up another book, then it is has done its job. And, as always, it's nice to see a beginning chapter book that focuses on science fiction!
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Rooftops of Tehran in Books
Jun 18, 2018
<a href="https://awindowintobooks.wordpress.com">Full Review</a>
I received, Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji, for free in exchange for a review. The synopsis of the book immediately caught my attention. From the beginning I was excited to read this novel. The story takes place in Iran. The story shows how American involvement affects everyone and not always in a good way. The characters are well developed. The story has twists, that I never expected but kept the story going.
Pasha, Ahmed, Zari and Faheemah are the main characters. Pasha and Ahmed spend many hours on his rooftop talking, joking, dreaming of the love of their lives and contemplating life. Pasha fantasized being with Zari but she was to married off to a childhood friend. While Ahmed wanted to be with Faheemah and ended up dating with the approval of her parents. Pasha and his friends live in Iran in the 1970's where they are skeptical of religion, arrange marriage and the government of their country. The US is viewed as a place of opportunity but as a place that causes problems.
By reading this book I was able to gain insight to middle class life in Iran during the 1970's until the rule of the Shah. This is a coming of age book that appears simple in the beginning but as the story progresses life gets complicated due to arranged marriage customs, and modern ideas from western culture. School is a place that is run by petty tyrants and when rules are not obeyed punishment is what follows. At the core, is the fundamentalism of Iran's future.
The SAVAK is present everywhere and people of all ages feel their impact. SAVAK have an impact on Iranian culture and not in a good way. They cause confusion, heartbreak and even death.
This story is written in a fast paced narrative perspective. The author has developed the characters well. At the end of the story I felt like I was sitting on the rooftop with Pasha experiencing his life, the twists, the secrets and all that effected his life with him.
I received, Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji, for free in exchange for a review. The synopsis of the book immediately caught my attention. From the beginning I was excited to read this novel. The story takes place in Iran. The story shows how American involvement affects everyone and not always in a good way. The characters are well developed. The story has twists, that I never expected but kept the story going.
Pasha, Ahmed, Zari and Faheemah are the main characters. Pasha and Ahmed spend many hours on his rooftop talking, joking, dreaming of the love of their lives and contemplating life. Pasha fantasized being with Zari but she was to married off to a childhood friend. While Ahmed wanted to be with Faheemah and ended up dating with the approval of her parents. Pasha and his friends live in Iran in the 1970's where they are skeptical of religion, arrange marriage and the government of their country. The US is viewed as a place of opportunity but as a place that causes problems.
By reading this book I was able to gain insight to middle class life in Iran during the 1970's until the rule of the Shah. This is a coming of age book that appears simple in the beginning but as the story progresses life gets complicated due to arranged marriage customs, and modern ideas from western culture. School is a place that is run by petty tyrants and when rules are not obeyed punishment is what follows. At the core, is the fundamentalism of Iran's future.
The SAVAK is present everywhere and people of all ages feel their impact. SAVAK have an impact on Iranian culture and not in a good way. They cause confusion, heartbreak and even death.
This story is written in a fast paced narrative perspective. The author has developed the characters well. At the end of the story I felt like I was sitting on the rooftop with Pasha experiencing his life, the twists, the secrets and all that effected his life with him.
Kristin (149 KP) rated Weirdo. Mosher. Freak: (If Only They'd Stopped at Name Calling) in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I won this book through a FirstReads giveaway (and I'm really glad I did).
Most everybody, at some point in their lives, has been picked on, bullied, pushed around, whether literally or just emotionally. What happened to Sophie Lancaster and Rob Maltby in August 2007 shows the result of that being taken to the unfortunate extreme.
To say that I enjoyed this book would seem a little inappropriate, considering its subject matter. However, I found it extremely enlightening, as I do not recall ever hearing about this case when it occurred 5 years ago. Reading about how news of it and the resulting foundation spread worldwide made me pause and try to remember back to that time, and I think I remember seeing the "S.O.P.H.I.E." logo before, here in Virginia, USA. That just goes to show how much this meant, and still means, to so many people around the world.
I found this book to be very tactful in its approach to the case, from start to finish, as well as the coverage of the fundraising events for the Sophie Lancaster Foundation and Sylvia Lancaster's work to change the laws regarding the definition of hate crimes. Having just received a Master's Degree in Forensic Psychology, and as someone who has worked with people who have committed Domestic Violence, the sections describing the defendants' actions during the assault, interviews, court appearances (as well as their parents') was extremely unsettling, but very helpful in understanding just how they could be so abusive.
I would recommend this book to anyone who works with youths, especially those considered "troubled," as they could see and share what could happen if they continue down the road they're on. However, those who might benefit most are those who can relate to the title, having been called a "weirdo" or a "freak" by their peers. They need to know that there are people all over the world just like them, and that there is no reason to take the abuse, whether verbal or physical. As Sylvia Lancaster was quoted in the book, "prejudice and intolerance is the new racism," and it can't get any better until those who promote it are held accountable.
"Hate is easy--love takes courage."
Most everybody, at some point in their lives, has been picked on, bullied, pushed around, whether literally or just emotionally. What happened to Sophie Lancaster and Rob Maltby in August 2007 shows the result of that being taken to the unfortunate extreme.
To say that I enjoyed this book would seem a little inappropriate, considering its subject matter. However, I found it extremely enlightening, as I do not recall ever hearing about this case when it occurred 5 years ago. Reading about how news of it and the resulting foundation spread worldwide made me pause and try to remember back to that time, and I think I remember seeing the "S.O.P.H.I.E." logo before, here in Virginia, USA. That just goes to show how much this meant, and still means, to so many people around the world.
I found this book to be very tactful in its approach to the case, from start to finish, as well as the coverage of the fundraising events for the Sophie Lancaster Foundation and Sylvia Lancaster's work to change the laws regarding the definition of hate crimes. Having just received a Master's Degree in Forensic Psychology, and as someone who has worked with people who have committed Domestic Violence, the sections describing the defendants' actions during the assault, interviews, court appearances (as well as their parents') was extremely unsettling, but very helpful in understanding just how they could be so abusive.
I would recommend this book to anyone who works with youths, especially those considered "troubled," as they could see and share what could happen if they continue down the road they're on. However, those who might benefit most are those who can relate to the title, having been called a "weirdo" or a "freak" by their peers. They need to know that there are people all over the world just like them, and that there is no reason to take the abuse, whether verbal or physical. As Sylvia Lancaster was quoted in the book, "prejudice and intolerance is the new racism," and it can't get any better until those who promote it are held accountable.
"Hate is easy--love takes courage."
Reiko LJ (126 KP) rated The Psychology of Time Travel in Books
Aug 13, 2018
Engaging, fully formed world (1 more)
Complex female characters
This book had my interest on the premise alone, enough to give it a shot - but I didn't expect it to be such an enjoyable ride.
Usually when fiction tackles time travel concepts you get glaring paradoxes, intentional blurring of details or overdone tropes but this book actually pulled it off well. Rather than focusing on the usual quandaries faced by time travelling instead we had a plethora of content I'd never even considered before!
From the humble beginnings of the four 'pioneers' in the '60s (which most books would have kept focus on) we jump forwards to the modern era and have what happened between was filled in through very natural exposition and character discovery. The result is a rich and vast world I wanted to know more and more about. What a fantastic concept to show modern day Britain with a history knocked off course by the creation of the conclave and decades of shared knowledge.
I was repeatedly impressed by the level of detail that Mascarenhas took things to (the time travel terminology/slang definitely being one of them!) and the areas she covered.
Over the course of reading this book I found myself bringing up the book in conversation at work and home. I couldn't help but talk about it. It was also at this point, in describing the book, that I suddenly realised there were no male characters of note in the book at all. This absolutely took nothing away from the story. The women in this story were fully formed and real enough to be flawed. Such a refreshing experience in sci-fi! I was pleasantly surprised by the romantic sub-plot between two women as well. This was such a natural progression of the story, with no fan-fare or overdue focus - it was just right and wonderfully depicted.
The themes covered by the book are equal parts beautiful and painful - just like life itself. What an incredible debut novel from a voice I am keen to hear more from.
----
Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for an ARC of this book in in exchange for an honest review
Usually when fiction tackles time travel concepts you get glaring paradoxes, intentional blurring of details or overdone tropes but this book actually pulled it off well. Rather than focusing on the usual quandaries faced by time travelling instead we had a plethora of content I'd never even considered before!
From the humble beginnings of the four 'pioneers' in the '60s (which most books would have kept focus on) we jump forwards to the modern era and have what happened between was filled in through very natural exposition and character discovery. The result is a rich and vast world I wanted to know more and more about. What a fantastic concept to show modern day Britain with a history knocked off course by the creation of the conclave and decades of shared knowledge.
I was repeatedly impressed by the level of detail that Mascarenhas took things to (the time travel terminology/slang definitely being one of them!) and the areas she covered.
Over the course of reading this book I found myself bringing up the book in conversation at work and home. I couldn't help but talk about it. It was also at this point, in describing the book, that I suddenly realised there were no male characters of note in the book at all. This absolutely took nothing away from the story. The women in this story were fully formed and real enough to be flawed. Such a refreshing experience in sci-fi! I was pleasantly surprised by the romantic sub-plot between two women as well. This was such a natural progression of the story, with no fan-fare or overdue focus - it was just right and wonderfully depicted.
The themes covered by the book are equal parts beautiful and painful - just like life itself. What an incredible debut novel from a voice I am keen to hear more from.
----
Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for an ARC of this book in in exchange for an honest review
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Megamind (2010) in Movies
Dec 5, 2018
Holds up well - very entertaining
When one thinks of Animation studios, the first 2 names that come to mind are, probably, PIXAR and DISNEY ANIMATION. Coming in 3rd on that list is probably DREAMWORKS with such hit franchises as SHREK, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON and KUNG FU PANDA. But Dreamworks also made a few, fun "one-off" films (animation films that spawned no sequels), most notably OVER THE HEDGE, SHARK TALE and the animated film I'm reviewing today, MEGAMIND.
What? You don't remember MEGAMIND? Well, you should. Spooffing SuperHero films by focusing on the villain, Megamind stars some incredible voice talents - Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Brad Pitt, David Cross and Johan Hill - and tells the cautionary tale of "be careful what you wish for, you just might get it."
Ferrell, of course, stars as the titular Megamind, a Super Villain who after years of failure, finally defeats SuperHero Megaman (Brad Pitt). He realizes that without his arch-nemesis, his life is empty and begins to search for meaning in his life. Along for the journey is a reporter (Tina Fey), her Cameraman (Jonah Hill) and Megamind's Minion (long before Despicable Me), David Cross.
Sounds like pretty standard stuff, huh? But in the hands of comedians like Ferrell, Fey, Cross and Hill it elevates itself to something more. The comic sensibilities make a little more sense to me when I realized that Ben Stiller and Justin Theroux were the Excecutive Producers - both very funny men. They, smartly, turned the Direction of this film over to Dreamworks Animation veteran Tom McGrath (REN & STIMPY, some of the MADAGASCAR films and THE BOSS BABY), he keeps the events of the film moving swiftly and simply, being really clear of the events and motivations of the players while not getting too clever and complex.
I caught this film on HBO, and am sure you can stream it elsewhere. If you're looking for a fun film for the whole family this Holiday Season - especially one without Princes & Princesses in it - check out MEGAMIND, it's a fun way to spend a few hours.
Letter Grade: A-
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
What? You don't remember MEGAMIND? Well, you should. Spooffing SuperHero films by focusing on the villain, Megamind stars some incredible voice talents - Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Brad Pitt, David Cross and Johan Hill - and tells the cautionary tale of "be careful what you wish for, you just might get it."
Ferrell, of course, stars as the titular Megamind, a Super Villain who after years of failure, finally defeats SuperHero Megaman (Brad Pitt). He realizes that without his arch-nemesis, his life is empty and begins to search for meaning in his life. Along for the journey is a reporter (Tina Fey), her Cameraman (Jonah Hill) and Megamind's Minion (long before Despicable Me), David Cross.
Sounds like pretty standard stuff, huh? But in the hands of comedians like Ferrell, Fey, Cross and Hill it elevates itself to something more. The comic sensibilities make a little more sense to me when I realized that Ben Stiller and Justin Theroux were the Excecutive Producers - both very funny men. They, smartly, turned the Direction of this film over to Dreamworks Animation veteran Tom McGrath (REN & STIMPY, some of the MADAGASCAR films and THE BOSS BABY), he keeps the events of the film moving swiftly and simply, being really clear of the events and motivations of the players while not getting too clever and complex.
I caught this film on HBO, and am sure you can stream it elsewhere. If you're looking for a fun film for the whole family this Holiday Season - especially one without Princes & Princesses in it - check out MEGAMIND, it's a fun way to spend a few hours.
Letter Grade: A-
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Lots of twists and turns (1 more)
Red herrings to keep us guessing
And so the plot thickens...
The story centres around the main character Tom, who is trying to keep his family together after the death of his wife, whilst starting a new relationship with Sophie. Tom is desperately trying to find his daughter, who has gone missing from the same party where her boyfriend turns up dead.
This is a who did it series, where we are left till the very last episode to find out where Jenny (the missing daughter) is (and with whom), and also who murdered her boyfriend, as well as the reasons behind this. As much as the plot unravels in the first part of the series, we are delighted to watch as lose ends are tied up in a complex thread towards the end. As viewers we are left with the bigger picture during the last episode, where we can see just how clever the writing of this series have been at masking such a huge chain of events.
The plot is quite complex, and certainly not one that you can leave to make a cup of tea without pausing. The clues come thick and fast throughout the whole series, some have cleverly been placed as red herrings, to stop us realising the answers too soon. I am usually know for picking murderers from stories very early on in the plot, however if I were to bet on this one, I would be totally missing the mark- I was genuinely shock when the murder was revealed.
There are a lot of characters in the series, although they are subtly introduced, so they were not too overwhelming. The characters were superbly cast, being both well acted and believable. Michael C. Hall, who played Tom was exceptional in his acting, showing a complete range of emotions throughout. There were also a few smaller sub-stories within the main plot, which helped enrich the series further.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the series, it was one I binged on over two days and kept me guessing throughout.
This is a who did it series, where we are left till the very last episode to find out where Jenny (the missing daughter) is (and with whom), and also who murdered her boyfriend, as well as the reasons behind this. As much as the plot unravels in the first part of the series, we are delighted to watch as lose ends are tied up in a complex thread towards the end. As viewers we are left with the bigger picture during the last episode, where we can see just how clever the writing of this series have been at masking such a huge chain of events.
The plot is quite complex, and certainly not one that you can leave to make a cup of tea without pausing. The clues come thick and fast throughout the whole series, some have cleverly been placed as red herrings, to stop us realising the answers too soon. I am usually know for picking murderers from stories very early on in the plot, however if I were to bet on this one, I would be totally missing the mark- I was genuinely shock when the murder was revealed.
There are a lot of characters in the series, although they are subtly introduced, so they were not too overwhelming. The characters were superbly cast, being both well acted and believable. Michael C. Hall, who played Tom was exceptional in his acting, showing a complete range of emotions throughout. There were also a few smaller sub-stories within the main plot, which helped enrich the series further.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the series, it was one I binged on over two days and kept me guessing throughout.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Hold Your Tongue in Books
Dec 13, 2019
A creditable debut
This is what I call a slow burner and a very creditable debut from this new British author. It did take me a while to get into it and to get used to the writing style but once I did, I was hooked.
DI Eve Hunter is returning to work under a cloud after being injured in the line of duty which saw her colleague paralysed. She walks into the gruesome murder of a young woman and so begins the hunt for a brutal killer by her and her team and so begins this dark, gruesome and gritty police procedural set in the Scottish city of Aberdeen.
Mainly written from Eve's perspective interspersed with sections from members of her team and those of the killer, this gave insight from all the important characters in this book. The characters are well developed and believable with the relationships between Eve and the wider team excellently portrayed however, and this is my main criticism of this book, it took an awfully long time to get to the bottom of what happened with Eve and her colleague; you get snippets of the story here and there but, for me, this ended up annoying me slightly as I just wanted to know! In my humble opinion, this should have been explained close to the beginning of the book (maybe in a prologue?) so that the actions and reactions of Eve and her fellow officers would have been better understood.
I must applaud the author for keeping the identity of the killer well hidden amongst several red herrings; I changed my mind about who the person was a couple of times and was still caught out when the reveal happened ... excellent twist.
Overall, although I did find the first half of the book a little slow, the second made up for it and I am very much looking forward to what I hope are more outings for DI Hunter and her team.
My thanks go to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers via NetGalley for an advance copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.
DI Eve Hunter is returning to work under a cloud after being injured in the line of duty which saw her colleague paralysed. She walks into the gruesome murder of a young woman and so begins the hunt for a brutal killer by her and her team and so begins this dark, gruesome and gritty police procedural set in the Scottish city of Aberdeen.
Mainly written from Eve's perspective interspersed with sections from members of her team and those of the killer, this gave insight from all the important characters in this book. The characters are well developed and believable with the relationships between Eve and the wider team excellently portrayed however, and this is my main criticism of this book, it took an awfully long time to get to the bottom of what happened with Eve and her colleague; you get snippets of the story here and there but, for me, this ended up annoying me slightly as I just wanted to know! In my humble opinion, this should have been explained close to the beginning of the book (maybe in a prologue?) so that the actions and reactions of Eve and her fellow officers would have been better understood.
I must applaud the author for keeping the identity of the killer well hidden amongst several red herrings; I changed my mind about who the person was a couple of times and was still caught out when the reveal happened ... excellent twist.
Overall, although I did find the first half of the book a little slow, the second made up for it and I am very much looking forward to what I hope are more outings for DI Hunter and her team.
My thanks go to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers via NetGalley for an advance copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Dillon Jacoby-Rankin (202 KP) rated Everdell in Tabletop Games
Jan 18, 2020
Components (6 more)
Quality
Price
Game is expandable in future
Replayability
Theme
Artwork
Small text on special event cards because the card themselves are already small. (1 more)
Time can be alot if you have to teach new players.
My Favorite Game!
This game is hands down my favorite. Let's start there.
Players 1-4 Expands to 5-6 with future expansion
Ages 14+
Time 40-80 minutes. Definitely longer with more players especially if they are new to the game or worker placement in general. I played with 4 players and it took easily 150 minutes. Not complaining just with teaching and all it took longer than expected.
Components: These are full 3d pieces made of various materials. They all feel wonderful to hold and play with making collecting them for the game very satisfying.
Quality: The game is amazing in general and you can see the work that was put into the game. It was kick-started but you can tell there was a passion behind the game.
Price: The quality is worth it. And if you were ever unsure. Get the higher priced edition if possible. It will have more features like I believe metal coins for victory points as well as other content that are not in the base game like workers and cards for the solo game variant.
Expandable: The game has Pearlbrooke already out as well as 2 other Expansions being funded and at least a fourth one in the works because I read that they will not make a big box to put everything in, until the line is complete. And no big box yet. So a fourth expansion the look forward to for sure.
Replayability: Easily replayable as forest locations and special event cards will be different every time you play especially if you add some of the Expansions to your base game.
Theme: The idea of little woodland creatures collecting resources and building their own tiny cities is absolutely adorable and makes this game 100 times for fun and cute for me.
Artwork: The cards and board are fanominal. The art is so nice and cute.
Players 1-4 Expands to 5-6 with future expansion
Ages 14+
Time 40-80 minutes. Definitely longer with more players especially if they are new to the game or worker placement in general. I played with 4 players and it took easily 150 minutes. Not complaining just with teaching and all it took longer than expected.
Components: These are full 3d pieces made of various materials. They all feel wonderful to hold and play with making collecting them for the game very satisfying.
Quality: The game is amazing in general and you can see the work that was put into the game. It was kick-started but you can tell there was a passion behind the game.
Price: The quality is worth it. And if you were ever unsure. Get the higher priced edition if possible. It will have more features like I believe metal coins for victory points as well as other content that are not in the base game like workers and cards for the solo game variant.
Expandable: The game has Pearlbrooke already out as well as 2 other Expansions being funded and at least a fourth one in the works because I read that they will not make a big box to put everything in, until the line is complete. And no big box yet. So a fourth expansion the look forward to for sure.
Replayability: Easily replayable as forest locations and special event cards will be different every time you play especially if you add some of the Expansions to your base game.
Theme: The idea of little woodland creatures collecting resources and building their own tiny cities is absolutely adorable and makes this game 100 times for fun and cute for me.
Artwork: The cards and board are fanominal. The art is so nice and cute.