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Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated What We Do In The Shadows (2014) in Movies
Jun 2, 2020
I don't think I ever really knew what this was before seeing it, but then I genuinely think it would be difficult to conceive this in your brain accurately from the description.
Viago, Deacon, Vladislav and Petyr live together in Wellington, New Zealand. There's nothing too odd about a group of men living together, they do all the usual things, argue over the chores, have guests for dinner, clean blood out of their new second-hand clothing... oh right, yes, and they're vampires. Life is fine until Nick comes into their lives. He's young and hip and starts to show them what the modern world has to offer. We watch the story of these ordinary vampires as their night to night lives unfold.
The documentary style is always an interesting idea, it's not even something that actual documentaries get right all the time so a fictionalised version was intriguing and they really staked it through the heart with this one. We cut between interview and footage styles and it really does help to give you that real-life documentary feel as well as a sense of each individual character. The addition of historical photographs and illustrations was a fun way to get bits of their backstory and I thought they were created really well.
There is a brilliant casual nature about all the acting and being able to just be yourself means it does all feel a lot more real. While I like all the characters my favourite is definitely Viago played by Taika Waititi. There's a wonderful innocence to him and a kind nature that is really at odds with the whole vampire thing. He's keen for everyone to get along and he's got a very positive outlook on death. Waititi gives Viago that bouncy energy that always makes me smile, so many of his moments genuinely made me smile.
Everyone brings that bit of supernatural fun, the rivalry with the werewolves, meeting with other vampires on the street, and the vampire "tricks" that lead to one of my favourite pieces in the whole film... the police officers. Their reactions to everything were priceless.
I've watched it a few times recently and honestly, each watch is just as entertaining as the first. It might not have the high production values of other films but it really has a wonderful presence. There are some days when you need this sort of amusement (with a tiny bit of devastation thrown in), this is the antidote to so many of the world's troubles.
If you haven't already done so then check out these episodes of At The Flicks (Mega Shark In Lockdown) and MovieDrone (Episode 91) where I talking with all your favourite movie men about What We Do In The Shadows.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/06/what-we-do-in-shadows-movie-review.html
Viago, Deacon, Vladislav and Petyr live together in Wellington, New Zealand. There's nothing too odd about a group of men living together, they do all the usual things, argue over the chores, have guests for dinner, clean blood out of their new second-hand clothing... oh right, yes, and they're vampires. Life is fine until Nick comes into their lives. He's young and hip and starts to show them what the modern world has to offer. We watch the story of these ordinary vampires as their night to night lives unfold.
The documentary style is always an interesting idea, it's not even something that actual documentaries get right all the time so a fictionalised version was intriguing and they really staked it through the heart with this one. We cut between interview and footage styles and it really does help to give you that real-life documentary feel as well as a sense of each individual character. The addition of historical photographs and illustrations was a fun way to get bits of their backstory and I thought they were created really well.
There is a brilliant casual nature about all the acting and being able to just be yourself means it does all feel a lot more real. While I like all the characters my favourite is definitely Viago played by Taika Waititi. There's a wonderful innocence to him and a kind nature that is really at odds with the whole vampire thing. He's keen for everyone to get along and he's got a very positive outlook on death. Waititi gives Viago that bouncy energy that always makes me smile, so many of his moments genuinely made me smile.
Everyone brings that bit of supernatural fun, the rivalry with the werewolves, meeting with other vampires on the street, and the vampire "tricks" that lead to one of my favourite pieces in the whole film... the police officers. Their reactions to everything were priceless.
I've watched it a few times recently and honestly, each watch is just as entertaining as the first. It might not have the high production values of other films but it really has a wonderful presence. There are some days when you need this sort of amusement (with a tiny bit of devastation thrown in), this is the antidote to so many of the world's troubles.
If you haven't already done so then check out these episodes of At The Flicks (Mega Shark In Lockdown) and MovieDrone (Episode 91) where I talking with all your favourite movie men about What We Do In The Shadows.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/06/what-we-do-in-shadows-movie-review.html
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ArecRain (8 KP) rated Night's Rose (Night's Rose #1) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
This book was both refreshing and drab at the same time. I have not read many romance novels that included orcs, trolls, and Dark Fey. It seems that some angry paranormal romance god out there only wants us to read about vampires, werewolves, and crazy chicks specializing in working with the deceased.
Again, another novel easily recognized as a early work of the author. While the plot was fairly simple to understand, it was far more than I hoped for when I picked up this novel. I had grown so used to other paranormal romances and their stale plots that this particular novel did not seem any different. And in a way, it was not. Again, we are presented with another novel about someone trying to take over the world in some way or another. It was how this devious little rebel Fey went about it. I mean, how many people think of manipulating orcs into casting a summoning spell that will bring about a beast so gargantuan that the earth itself was the only prison that could hold it?
The ending was massively confusing, however. One minute we have a battle and this giant trying to break free, and the next page is the epilogue talking about the aftermath. I honestly felt like I was left hanging. But that was not what killed it for me. After the main character, Rose, so adamantly professes her deep love for her husband, Garreth, and her undying need to prove her loyalty and said love for him, in the last pages, she is ponders on whether or not her husband would be okay with having a menage with her and her husband's half brother, Ambrose. It was such a wrench in the plot that I was taken by surprise. I knew that the Rose had feelings for her husband's half-brother before she married, yet, at the same time, I felt that Evans pretty much killed those feelings when she married Rose and Garreth. When, all of sudden, Rose is wanting to have sex with Ambrose, I wanted to reach through the pages and smacked that fool across the face. What was this crazy b**** thinking?!?
Oh, not to mention the scene halfway through the novel when Rose begs Garreth to have sex with her in not so subtle, or ladylike, words. I actually laughed when reading it. I guess that the scene just seems so out of place that it was humorous.
Other than the few out place scenes, I really enjoyed this novel. About three fourths way through, the building of the plot finally climaxed, fizzling out as it does so, but, by that point, Evans has revealed all of her twist in the plot and the only thing left to do is gracefully end the novel. Once all the juicy little secrets have been laid on the table, the novel becomes slow and difficult to finish, but is a worthwhile novel from a budding author. I could have done without the Sleeping Beauty theme though. I love fairy tales interpreted for adults, but I felt this novel would have been even better without it.
Again, another novel easily recognized as a early work of the author. While the plot was fairly simple to understand, it was far more than I hoped for when I picked up this novel. I had grown so used to other paranormal romances and their stale plots that this particular novel did not seem any different. And in a way, it was not. Again, we are presented with another novel about someone trying to take over the world in some way or another. It was how this devious little rebel Fey went about it. I mean, how many people think of manipulating orcs into casting a summoning spell that will bring about a beast so gargantuan that the earth itself was the only prison that could hold it?
The ending was massively confusing, however. One minute we have a battle and this giant trying to break free, and the next page is the epilogue talking about the aftermath. I honestly felt like I was left hanging. But that was not what killed it for me. After the main character, Rose, so adamantly professes her deep love for her husband, Garreth, and her undying need to prove her loyalty and said love for him, in the last pages, she is ponders on whether or not her husband would be okay with having a menage with her and her husband's half brother, Ambrose. It was such a wrench in the plot that I was taken by surprise. I knew that the Rose had feelings for her husband's half-brother before she married, yet, at the same time, I felt that Evans pretty much killed those feelings when she married Rose and Garreth. When, all of sudden, Rose is wanting to have sex with Ambrose, I wanted to reach through the pages and smacked that fool across the face. What was this crazy b**** thinking?!?
Oh, not to mention the scene halfway through the novel when Rose begs Garreth to have sex with her in not so subtle, or ladylike, words. I actually laughed when reading it. I guess that the scene just seems so out of place that it was humorous.
Other than the few out place scenes, I really enjoyed this novel. About three fourths way through, the building of the plot finally climaxed, fizzling out as it does so, but, by that point, Evans has revealed all of her twist in the plot and the only thing left to do is gracefully end the novel. Once all the juicy little secrets have been laid on the table, the novel becomes slow and difficult to finish, but is a worthwhile novel from a budding author. I could have done without the Sleeping Beauty theme though. I love fairy tales interpreted for adults, but I felt this novel would have been even better without it.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1) in Books
Oct 26, 2018
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare [BOOK REVIEW]
I have already read this book back in 2014. This time, I decided to go with the whole series, as I stopped reading them for some reason.
City of Bones is the first book from The Mortal Instrument Series by Cassandra Clare. This is a book that is really distinctive for the fact that it takes you to a whole new world instantly, and you immediately feel comfortable with it.
The story starts when Clary and her friend Simon are in a night club, and a boy is being attacked. When Clary calls out for help, it seems that only she can see the attackers. And immediately, within a few pages, we are introduced to a paranormal world that is not visible to mundanes, and we discover all sorts of creatures: angels, demons, fae, vampires, werewolves…
And when Clary discovers that her mother, who used to be a part of a society, and kept it all hidden from her goes missing - she is determined to find her, save her, and find out about her past.
I liked the fact that we have a world so wonderfully constructed, and so thoughtfully created, that drags you in immediately. I usually am the person that struggles with new worlds and incredible amounts of creatures, but this was a great exception.
The characters were well-developed, and I was impressed by how the author managed to present some of today’s taboo topics in this novel. I find it really courageous. I straight-out don’t like Simon. Like, at all… He is a wonderful friend, and Clary means a lot to him, but he was just so dull the whole book.
I liked Clary, and I loved how she slowly discovered everything, but I wasn’t really that involved with her.
On the other side, I loved Jace. He is such a hottie. Sarcastic little cutsie thing! I also adored his honesty. It is something that not everyone has these days…
‘’He’s not a liar at all. Not about important things. He’ll tell you horrible truths, but he won’t lie.’’ She paused before she added quietly, ‘’That’s why it’s certainly better not to ask him anything unless you know you can stand to hear the answer.’’
I liked Luke’s story, and he had an amazing cliff-hanger around the end of the book. But Magnus is one of the people I wanted to see more of, and I wish there two places were swapped.
Isabelle and Alec - I really loved them. We didn’t get to see too much of them, but they were both really important in some of the crucial moments in this book.
All in all, I really loved the story. And I am a bit sad that the couple I was shipping for can’t be together, but it is what it is. I am going to put a Lannister reference here, and if you have read the book, you will understand: ‘’Oh, the things we do for love…’’
‘’To love is to destroy, and to be loved is to be the one destroyed.’’
City of Bones is the first book from The Mortal Instrument Series by Cassandra Clare. This is a book that is really distinctive for the fact that it takes you to a whole new world instantly, and you immediately feel comfortable with it.
The story starts when Clary and her friend Simon are in a night club, and a boy is being attacked. When Clary calls out for help, it seems that only she can see the attackers. And immediately, within a few pages, we are introduced to a paranormal world that is not visible to mundanes, and we discover all sorts of creatures: angels, demons, fae, vampires, werewolves…
And when Clary discovers that her mother, who used to be a part of a society, and kept it all hidden from her goes missing - she is determined to find her, save her, and find out about her past.
I liked the fact that we have a world so wonderfully constructed, and so thoughtfully created, that drags you in immediately. I usually am the person that struggles with new worlds and incredible amounts of creatures, but this was a great exception.
The characters were well-developed, and I was impressed by how the author managed to present some of today’s taboo topics in this novel. I find it really courageous. I straight-out don’t like Simon. Like, at all… He is a wonderful friend, and Clary means a lot to him, but he was just so dull the whole book.
I liked Clary, and I loved how she slowly discovered everything, but I wasn’t really that involved with her.
On the other side, I loved Jace. He is such a hottie. Sarcastic little cutsie thing! I also adored his honesty. It is something that not everyone has these days…
‘’He’s not a liar at all. Not about important things. He’ll tell you horrible truths, but he won’t lie.’’ She paused before she added quietly, ‘’That’s why it’s certainly better not to ask him anything unless you know you can stand to hear the answer.’’
I liked Luke’s story, and he had an amazing cliff-hanger around the end of the book. But Magnus is one of the people I wanted to see more of, and I wish there two places were swapped.
Isabelle and Alec - I really loved them. We didn’t get to see too much of them, but they were both really important in some of the crucial moments in this book.
All in all, I really loved the story. And I am a bit sad that the couple I was shipping for can’t be together, but it is what it is. I am going to put a Lannister reference here, and if you have read the book, you will understand: ‘’Oh, the things we do for love…’’
‘’To love is to destroy, and to be loved is to be the one destroyed.’’
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Wanderers (The Wanderers, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
Kate Ormand takes a unique twist in <i>The Wanderers</i>, following a group of nomad shapeshifters traveling under the guise of a circus. Flo has been part of the circus ever since she was young but has always thought of what the world would be like if she were not a part of the circus. When she accidentally reveals what the circus really is to the public, shapeshifter hunters attack and take away everything she has ever known.
There aren't a lot of shapeshifter books out there all the ones I've come across so far typically have characters that shift into wolves (<i>technically</i> werewolves are like shapeshifters. They're interchangeable). <i>The Wanderers</i>, on the other hand, don't really have wolves (I don't think there are any here). Ormand takes the concept and expands the idea of shapeshifter to include all kinds of animals bears, seals, tigers, horses, etc. It's a breather to have all kinds of animals instead of the usual furry four-legged ones. Have I mentioned there's a shapeshifting parrot? Uber-cool.
Flo (I started imagining her as that Progressive chick) has elements of a good character she's realistic and brave, even though she's watching her back constantly for hunters. She has a constant inner battle with a desire and curiosity to see the world outside of the circus but has no clue if she wants to take that opportunity when she's old enough to be offered a life outside. But Flo is a bit of a mystery to me, and so are most of the shifters.
<i>The Wanderers</i> feels more like a discovery book no one aside from the "elders" know how the circus originated in the first place. Flo and the other shifters seem as though they've been there all their lives they all have a similar past and their way to the circus are all similar. The book becomes more of a survival book after the attack and the remaining shifters work together (albeit the tolerable tension some have towards Flo) to escape the clutches of the hunters going after them. In the midst of it all, Flo discovers a disturbing plot and sets about breaking it before other shifters get hurt as well.
Ormand pulls off an ending similar to <a title="Killer of Enemies by Joseph Bruchac" href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-killer-of-enemies-by-joseph-bruchac/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bruchac's in <i>Killer of Enemies</i></a> there's a solid ending, but it's very open-ended and lots of things could potentially happen. The ending to <i>The Wanderers</i> feels very fitting with the story considering the title and the concept. Even though I'm not a huge fan of this book, Ormand has certainly left a mark with just the entire idea.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-the-wanderers-by-kate-ormand/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Kate Ormand takes a unique twist in <i>The Wanderers</i>, following a group of nomad shapeshifters traveling under the guise of a circus. Flo has been part of the circus ever since she was young but has always thought of what the world would be like if she were not a part of the circus. When she accidentally reveals what the circus really is to the public, shapeshifter hunters attack and take away everything she has ever known.
There aren't a lot of shapeshifter books out there all the ones I've come across so far typically have characters that shift into wolves (<i>technically</i> werewolves are like shapeshifters. They're interchangeable). <i>The Wanderers</i>, on the other hand, don't really have wolves (I don't think there are any here). Ormand takes the concept and expands the idea of shapeshifter to include all kinds of animals bears, seals, tigers, horses, etc. It's a breather to have all kinds of animals instead of the usual furry four-legged ones. Have I mentioned there's a shapeshifting parrot? Uber-cool.
Flo (I started imagining her as that Progressive chick) has elements of a good character she's realistic and brave, even though she's watching her back constantly for hunters. She has a constant inner battle with a desire and curiosity to see the world outside of the circus but has no clue if she wants to take that opportunity when she's old enough to be offered a life outside. But Flo is a bit of a mystery to me, and so are most of the shifters.
<i>The Wanderers</i> feels more like a discovery book no one aside from the "elders" know how the circus originated in the first place. Flo and the other shifters seem as though they've been there all their lives they all have a similar past and their way to the circus are all similar. The book becomes more of a survival book after the attack and the remaining shifters work together (albeit the tolerable tension some have towards Flo) to escape the clutches of the hunters going after them. In the midst of it all, Flo discovers a disturbing plot and sets about breaking it before other shifters get hurt as well.
Ormand pulls off an ending similar to <a title="Killer of Enemies by Joseph Bruchac" href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-killer-of-enemies-by-joseph-bruchac/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bruchac's in <i>Killer of Enemies</i></a> there's a solid ending, but it's very open-ended and lots of things could potentially happen. The ending to <i>The Wanderers</i> feels very fitting with the story considering the title and the concept. Even though I'm not a huge fan of this book, Ormand has certainly left a mark with just the entire idea.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-the-wanderers-by-kate-ormand/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Fading in Books
Jan 9, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
Fading by Cindy Cipriano may not contain vampires or werewolves yet it still has a slightly supernatural/paranormal feel to it. This book is in a similar group as Twilight as a forbidden love book. Also, this is only the first book in a series that is expected to be three or four books long.
Leath is the typical seventeen-year-old high school girl. She has her mother’s full support after her father died and her two best friends Victor and Anamae. The three of them have been considering college visits and what the future may hold for them. Leath and Victor have always been close but when Victor starts showing interest in being more than just friends with Leath she resists him. Victor believes Leath is confused and will come around to recognizing her feelings for him but Leath is not too sure. Then while working in her guidance councilor's office Leath sees the transfer file for a new student, James.
As if fate put them together James and Leath run into each other on Jame’s first day and they instantly become inseparable. Leath feels as if she has known James for her entire life and James feels the same way about her. Leath wonders if James is the same boy that Leath has actually been having dreams about all her life. Is she prepared to make the huge sacrifice required for her to be with James? Leath must choose between her friends, family, and freedom, or James before he makes the decision for her.
What I liked best about the book was honestly James himself. Even if he seemed somewhat creepy at times he is a great guy. His willingness to live alone and possibly face the wrath of his race just to protect Leath from his societies traditions are commendable. What I didn’t really like was the abrupt change around chapter fifteen. I understand the need for it but it was a little rough at first. I also didn’t understand completely why the fading worked so well on Leath that time when it didn’t work the first time. The only difference I can really come up with was the medication Leath was on and everyone else forgetting James helping her forget as well.
Teens of all ages will find this book to be appealing as the language is mild and there isn’t really any inappropriate content. Readers of romance will defiantly enjoy this book more so than fans of other genres. I give this book a rating of 4 out of 4. Fans of teen romance will love this twist on a classic forbidden love story. The entire concept of fading allows for the story to move on without having messy explanations in the middle of everything.
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Leath is the typical seventeen-year-old high school girl. She has her mother’s full support after her father died and her two best friends Victor and Anamae. The three of them have been considering college visits and what the future may hold for them. Leath and Victor have always been close but when Victor starts showing interest in being more than just friends with Leath she resists him. Victor believes Leath is confused and will come around to recognizing her feelings for him but Leath is not too sure. Then while working in her guidance councilor's office Leath sees the transfer file for a new student, James.
As if fate put them together James and Leath run into each other on Jame’s first day and they instantly become inseparable. Leath feels as if she has known James for her entire life and James feels the same way about her. Leath wonders if James is the same boy that Leath has actually been having dreams about all her life. Is she prepared to make the huge sacrifice required for her to be with James? Leath must choose between her friends, family, and freedom, or James before he makes the decision for her.
What I liked best about the book was honestly James himself. Even if he seemed somewhat creepy at times he is a great guy. His willingness to live alone and possibly face the wrath of his race just to protect Leath from his societies traditions are commendable. What I didn’t really like was the abrupt change around chapter fifteen. I understand the need for it but it was a little rough at first. I also didn’t understand completely why the fading worked so well on Leath that time when it didn’t work the first time. The only difference I can really come up with was the medication Leath was on and everyone else forgetting James helping her forget as well.
Teens of all ages will find this book to be appealing as the language is mild and there isn’t really any inappropriate content. Readers of romance will defiantly enjoy this book more so than fans of other genres. I give this book a rating of 4 out of 4. Fans of teen romance will love this twist on a classic forbidden love story. The entire concept of fading allows for the story to move on without having messy explanations in the middle of everything.
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Annie Chanse (15 KP) rated Shadows & Dreams in Books
Dec 19, 2017
Review** spoiler alert ** *Warning: contains spoilers, bad words, and quite a long rant*
To be honest, I was very disappointed in this book. It had a great premise, which meant it had the potential to be a really good story, but the writing style of the author just completely ruined this book for me.
The basic idea behind the story is that Kate Kane, a paranormal PI, sets off on a case to find the brother of a woman she slept with once, and during this investigation, she runs into ALL MANNER OF TROUBLE. There are vampires and werewolves and ex-girlfriends around every corner, just lurking and waiting to pounce on Miss Kane. It's a very busy and involved story, and if it had been better written, I would have easily given it four stars at least, but there was just TOO much about this book -- style-wise -- that drove me insane.
For instance:
1. The plot, itself, is actually fairly well thought out and developed and is nowhere NEAR as cheesy as it sounds when you hear, "Vampires fighting werewolves," -- which, let's be honest, these days is so trite and overdone that it is scoffed at on a regular basis. However, there IS a good story in this novel. But the way Hall writes the not-cheesy story is so cheesy that it makes you THINK the story is cheesy. A lot of cheese, huh? A little confusing? Well then, let me give you an example.
Page 7-8: "Truth be told it was a little bit awkward, but my social weirdness threshold has gone way up since my girlfriend tried to murder my ex-girlfriend because her ex-girlfriend tried to murder her."
Okay... a bit ridiculous, especially seven/eight pages in, but I can roll with it. However, at the bottom of page eight:
Kane asks, "Who saw him last?"
Her assistant -- who is actually a statue brought to life and gifted to Kate by a group of rats who are apparently all seeing and all knowing God-types -- says, "I don't know. [...] Probably somebody at the hospital."
Kane asks, "Which one?"
And the assistant replies with this fantastic line: "The Whittington. He broke his leg changing a light bulb. Because he was standing on a swivel chair because he's an idiot."
Okay, I concede that maybe this line is supposed to sound ridiculous and funny, so I can even let that one slide. But then, three pages later, Hall completely turns me off to the book with this:
"Well, fuck. I was about to be hired by a woman I'd very nearly slept with to find her missing brother who was working for the woman who'd left me for a tech startup at the tech startup she left me for."
Wh-wh-what?! Are you kidding me? Could that sentence BE anymore convoluted or that plot-point any more ridiculously stereotypical?
And what is truly awful is that the story itself REALLY WASN'T THAT BAD. I mean, the writing was awful, which, overall, meant that the novel was -- in my opinion, of course -- bad, but the way the story progressed WAS interesting. It was nowhere near as bad as these 'recaps' by the main character make it sound, but the problem is that Hall throws in these inner-monologues for Kane ALL throughout the book, and they are terrible! Which, in turn, decreases the value of the entire story.
Another example falls right on the heels of the page 11 jewel.
Page 14: "I really really hoped this wasn't going to be another zombie plague. There'd been an outbreak when I'd taken Eve up to Lake Windermere for our third anniversary, and we'd spent the whole weekend under siege in the hotel, making molotovs from the minibar and clubbing re-animated tourists to death with souvenir walking sticks."
Really? Zombies now? On top of the vampires, witches, and werewolves? Can we POSSIBLY fit anymore para into this normal?
Enough with that.
Now on to point number 2. The girl on girl sex scenes in this book between sexy, snarky PI and her vampire girlfriend, the Prince (yes, Prince) of Cups, should be hot, right? No. They are forced, fake, and ridiculous. Halfway through the first one, I thought, "Jesus. This isn't lesbian sex. This is lesbian sex if it was written by a man who WISHES he could see some lesbian sex." That was the point at which I decided to look up more info on Alexis Hall, and I found out that he is, in fact, a man, which at least explains the sex scenes.
#3. Speaking of sex scenes, Hall also has this really irritating -- and distracting -- habit of throwing in random, explicitly sexual thoughts at TOTALLY inappropriate times. Right in the middle of the most stressful situations -- being locked up, about to be killed, thrown in prison/on trial -- Kate Kane begins inner-monologuing with herself about how much she'd like to fuck whatever female happens to be standing in front of her. RIDICULOUS! And annoying. Hated it.
4. One of the MOST annoying things about this book, however, was that it was in DESPERATE need of a SERIOUS case of editing. All throughout the book there were glaring errors that any first year college student should have caught while reading. I'm willing to discount SOME of these "errors" as simply being lost in translation, as the book is written with a British tone, and I am very much American. However, SOME of these errors simply CANNOT be due to anything other than careless editing.
For instance, page 113: "It's main distinguishing feature, right, was that was it was blue."
WAS that WAS it WAS blue? What does that even mean? Oh, yes, it means that no one bothered editing this beast before printing.
Page 141: "Piercing the heart will paralyse, but it won't kill, and anything will do, it doesn't have to wood."
Okay, so maybe the "paralyse" is simply British, but surely the "doesn't have to wood" bit needs a "be" in there somewhere, right?
Page 157: "Have we have achieved case closed, Miss Kane?"
Yes, yes have we have.
There are several -- SEVERAL -- more examples of these type errors, but I'm not about to point them all out. If you read the book, I'm sure you'll easily catch them on your own.
5. Another thing that drove me NUTS was the repetition. The awful thing is I'm fairly certain that Hall used these repetitious lines PURPOSELY to create some kind of effect -- humor, maybe? Whatever the desired result, it failed to do anything other than annoy me.
For instance, page 163: "'Hi. So. Look.' I tried to find a way to express the fact I had some good news and some bad news that wasn't I've got some good news and some bad news. 'I've got some good news and some bad news.'"
...blink... ...falls over...
Page 177: "All the more reason to tell them. [...] If they know that we know that she has returned, then they will not be tempted to conspire against us out of the false belief that we do not know. Of course, they may already know, but at present, we have no way to know what they know. If we tell them, we will know what they know, and all we will not know is how long they have known it."
Oh. Jumping. Jesus. On. A. Pogo. Stick. Please tell me you aren't serious.
And there was this one thing that repeated over and over again throughout the book. The first time, it was actually pretty clever. The second time, even, was okay. But by the time I'd read it nine times -- yes, NINE TIMES, no exaggeration whatsoever -- I was ready to never EVER read anything like it ever again.
This particular phrase was something Kate Kane internalized or muttered aloud to herself each time she decided to do something stupid OR she felt her life was in danger. The basic format went something like this:
"Here lies Kate Kane, died peacefully in her sleep aged 94. Beloved daughter."
The "Here lies Kate Kane" part remained constant, as did the "Beloved daughter." It was only the middle part that changed, for instance, "Here lies Kate Kate. Should have minded her own business. Beloved daughter." Or perhaps, "Here lies Kate Kane. She made a difference to dozens. Beloved daughter."
This continued NINE TIMES. It is not cute, funny, or clever after about the second time, definitely after the third. BUT NINE TIMES?! Come on!
And finally, my last complaint.
6. Several of the items, scenes, quotes, etc. in this book seemed waaaaaaaaaay too close to things from other books for my taste. Perhaps it is simply a coincidence and the author did not intentionally siphon plot points and details from other authors -- except, of course, when he obviously did in his quotations, such as his use of "Not all those who wander are lost" and "As old as my tongue, a little bit older than my teeth" which are DIRECTLY taken from other books, but I'm hoping those were intentional and not attempted-to-get-away-with-it plagiarism.
But there are several things in this novel that could have been taken from Jim Butcher's "Dresden Files", Lewis' "Narnia" chronicles, and Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" series. I'm hoping, however, that they weren't, but they were very, very similar.
All in all, I'm disappointed to say that I was not a fan of this book at all, and I will most likely not be reading anymore Kate Kane books.
To be honest, I was very disappointed in this book. It had a great premise, which meant it had the potential to be a really good story, but the writing style of the author just completely ruined this book for me.
The basic idea behind the story is that Kate Kane, a paranormal PI, sets off on a case to find the brother of a woman she slept with once, and during this investigation, she runs into ALL MANNER OF TROUBLE. There are vampires and werewolves and ex-girlfriends around every corner, just lurking and waiting to pounce on Miss Kane. It's a very busy and involved story, and if it had been better written, I would have easily given it four stars at least, but there was just TOO much about this book -- style-wise -- that drove me insane.
For instance:
1. The plot, itself, is actually fairly well thought out and developed and is nowhere NEAR as cheesy as it sounds when you hear, "Vampires fighting werewolves," -- which, let's be honest, these days is so trite and overdone that it is scoffed at on a regular basis. However, there IS a good story in this novel. But the way Hall writes the not-cheesy story is so cheesy that it makes you THINK the story is cheesy. A lot of cheese, huh? A little confusing? Well then, let me give you an example.
Page 7-8: "Truth be told it was a little bit awkward, but my social weirdness threshold has gone way up since my girlfriend tried to murder my ex-girlfriend because her ex-girlfriend tried to murder her."
Okay... a bit ridiculous, especially seven/eight pages in, but I can roll with it. However, at the bottom of page eight:
Kane asks, "Who saw him last?"
Her assistant -- who is actually a statue brought to life and gifted to Kate by a group of rats who are apparently all seeing and all knowing God-types -- says, "I don't know. [...] Probably somebody at the hospital."
Kane asks, "Which one?"
And the assistant replies with this fantastic line: "The Whittington. He broke his leg changing a light bulb. Because he was standing on a swivel chair because he's an idiot."
Okay, I concede that maybe this line is supposed to sound ridiculous and funny, so I can even let that one slide. But then, three pages later, Hall completely turns me off to the book with this:
"Well, fuck. I was about to be hired by a woman I'd very nearly slept with to find her missing brother who was working for the woman who'd left me for a tech startup at the tech startup she left me for."
Wh-wh-what?! Are you kidding me? Could that sentence BE anymore convoluted or that plot-point any more ridiculously stereotypical?
And what is truly awful is that the story itself REALLY WASN'T THAT BAD. I mean, the writing was awful, which, overall, meant that the novel was -- in my opinion, of course -- bad, but the way the story progressed WAS interesting. It was nowhere near as bad as these 'recaps' by the main character make it sound, but the problem is that Hall throws in these inner-monologues for Kane ALL throughout the book, and they are terrible! Which, in turn, decreases the value of the entire story.
Another example falls right on the heels of the page 11 jewel.
Page 14: "I really really hoped this wasn't going to be another zombie plague. There'd been an outbreak when I'd taken Eve up to Lake Windermere for our third anniversary, and we'd spent the whole weekend under siege in the hotel, making molotovs from the minibar and clubbing re-animated tourists to death with souvenir walking sticks."
Really? Zombies now? On top of the vampires, witches, and werewolves? Can we POSSIBLY fit anymore para into this normal?
Enough with that.
Now on to point number 2. The girl on girl sex scenes in this book between sexy, snarky PI and her vampire girlfriend, the Prince (yes, Prince) of Cups, should be hot, right? No. They are forced, fake, and ridiculous. Halfway through the first one, I thought, "Jesus. This isn't lesbian sex. This is lesbian sex if it was written by a man who WISHES he could see some lesbian sex." That was the point at which I decided to look up more info on Alexis Hall, and I found out that he is, in fact, a man, which at least explains the sex scenes.
#3. Speaking of sex scenes, Hall also has this really irritating -- and distracting -- habit of throwing in random, explicitly sexual thoughts at TOTALLY inappropriate times. Right in the middle of the most stressful situations -- being locked up, about to be killed, thrown in prison/on trial -- Kate Kane begins inner-monologuing with herself about how much she'd like to fuck whatever female happens to be standing in front of her. RIDICULOUS! And annoying. Hated it.
4. One of the MOST annoying things about this book, however, was that it was in DESPERATE need of a SERIOUS case of editing. All throughout the book there were glaring errors that any first year college student should have caught while reading. I'm willing to discount SOME of these "errors" as simply being lost in translation, as the book is written with a British tone, and I am very much American. However, SOME of these errors simply CANNOT be due to anything other than careless editing.
For instance, page 113: "It's main distinguishing feature, right, was that was it was blue."
WAS that WAS it WAS blue? What does that even mean? Oh, yes, it means that no one bothered editing this beast before printing.
Page 141: "Piercing the heart will paralyse, but it won't kill, and anything will do, it doesn't have to wood."
Okay, so maybe the "paralyse" is simply British, but surely the "doesn't have to wood" bit needs a "be" in there somewhere, right?
Page 157: "Have we have achieved case closed, Miss Kane?"
Yes, yes have we have.
There are several -- SEVERAL -- more examples of these type errors, but I'm not about to point them all out. If you read the book, I'm sure you'll easily catch them on your own.
5. Another thing that drove me NUTS was the repetition. The awful thing is I'm fairly certain that Hall used these repetitious lines PURPOSELY to create some kind of effect -- humor, maybe? Whatever the desired result, it failed to do anything other than annoy me.
For instance, page 163: "'Hi. So. Look.' I tried to find a way to express the fact I had some good news and some bad news that wasn't I've got some good news and some bad news. 'I've got some good news and some bad news.'"
...blink... ...falls over...
Page 177: "All the more reason to tell them. [...] If they know that we know that she has returned, then they will not be tempted to conspire against us out of the false belief that we do not know. Of course, they may already know, but at present, we have no way to know what they know. If we tell them, we will know what they know, and all we will not know is how long they have known it."
Oh. Jumping. Jesus. On. A. Pogo. Stick. Please tell me you aren't serious.
And there was this one thing that repeated over and over again throughout the book. The first time, it was actually pretty clever. The second time, even, was okay. But by the time I'd read it nine times -- yes, NINE TIMES, no exaggeration whatsoever -- I was ready to never EVER read anything like it ever again.
This particular phrase was something Kate Kane internalized or muttered aloud to herself each time she decided to do something stupid OR she felt her life was in danger. The basic format went something like this:
"Here lies Kate Kane, died peacefully in her sleep aged 94. Beloved daughter."
The "Here lies Kate Kane" part remained constant, as did the "Beloved daughter." It was only the middle part that changed, for instance, "Here lies Kate Kate. Should have minded her own business. Beloved daughter." Or perhaps, "Here lies Kate Kane. She made a difference to dozens. Beloved daughter."
This continued NINE TIMES. It is not cute, funny, or clever after about the second time, definitely after the third. BUT NINE TIMES?! Come on!
And finally, my last complaint.
6. Several of the items, scenes, quotes, etc. in this book seemed waaaaaaaaaay too close to things from other books for my taste. Perhaps it is simply a coincidence and the author did not intentionally siphon plot points and details from other authors -- except, of course, when he obviously did in his quotations, such as his use of "Not all those who wander are lost" and "As old as my tongue, a little bit older than my teeth" which are DIRECTLY taken from other books, but I'm hoping those were intentional and not attempted-to-get-away-with-it plagiarism.
But there are several things in this novel that could have been taken from Jim Butcher's "Dresden Files", Lewis' "Narnia" chronicles, and Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" series. I'm hoping, however, that they weren't, but they were very, very similar.
All in all, I'm disappointed to say that I was not a fan of this book at all, and I will most likely not be reading anymore Kate Kane books.