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Radiation Island
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Radiation Island is a survival adventure game where you craft your own destiny in a huge open world...
Ultimate Forest Simulator
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Dash into your newest adventure as a ferocious Bear, speedy Rabbit, or a deadly Cougar! Choose from...
Ross (3284 KP) rated Malice: Book One of the Faithful and the Fallen in Books
Dec 1, 2017
The action (1 more)
The hints of the epic story still to come
The number of characters and places to try and remember (1 more)
A little long and derivative
This book, the first in a series of four, chronicles the beginning hints at the coming God-War, a time when the forces of good and evil will battle for the world (pretty standard fantasy fayre), with prophecies unfolding and battles for thrones.
The book moves between different character PoVs, which is fairly common these days, but I found some of the characters to be indistinguishable. For the first third of the book, if the PoV was Camlin, Kastell or Veradis I struggled to remember who he was or what he had been doing. This did start to improve around the halfway mark, but it is quite a slog at times to remember the events preceding this chapter.
The bulk of the book, however, follows Corban, a young blacksmith's son hoping to become a warrior some day, but is stuck working his da's forge, helping stablemaster Gar or apprenticing to healer Brina. His development over the book is well told, he doesn't suddenly become a master swordsman but at the same time we don't have to sit through chapter after chapter of him learning sword forms (Rand al Thor could learn a lot from Corban!).
Along the way, Corban has also become friends with a wild wolven (giant wolves hunted near extinction), whom he raised from a pup. Yes, exactly like the Stark children in GoT. Leave it.
The political intrigue and manoeuvring throughout the book is great as events seeming to be based on one king/queen's ambitions actually turn out to be based on another's treachery.
The battle scenes are well told and believable without the main characters always escaping unscathed.
The book finished with a number of deceptions uncovered and the main group of characters fleeing for their lives, with more secrets to be uncovered.
The book moves between different character PoVs, which is fairly common these days, but I found some of the characters to be indistinguishable. For the first third of the book, if the PoV was Camlin, Kastell or Veradis I struggled to remember who he was or what he had been doing. This did start to improve around the halfway mark, but it is quite a slog at times to remember the events preceding this chapter.
The bulk of the book, however, follows Corban, a young blacksmith's son hoping to become a warrior some day, but is stuck working his da's forge, helping stablemaster Gar or apprenticing to healer Brina. His development over the book is well told, he doesn't suddenly become a master swordsman but at the same time we don't have to sit through chapter after chapter of him learning sword forms (Rand al Thor could learn a lot from Corban!).
Along the way, Corban has also become friends with a wild wolven (giant wolves hunted near extinction), whom he raised from a pup. Yes, exactly like the Stark children in GoT. Leave it.
The political intrigue and manoeuvring throughout the book is great as events seeming to be based on one king/queen's ambitions actually turn out to be based on another's treachery.
The battle scenes are well told and believable without the main characters always escaping unscathed.
The book finished with a number of deceptions uncovered and the main group of characters fleeing for their lives, with more secrets to be uncovered.
Merissa (13619 KP) rated Lynx (Wild Wolves MC #1) in Books
Sep 25, 2025
LYNX is the first book in the Wild Wolves MC series, set in the East Midlands, UK, which was my old stomping ground. I can't tell you how happy I was to read something set there, even if it is a fictional place.
Annabelle Jacobs writes brilliant British Urban Fantasy, and this one is no different. In a world where humans don't know about shifters, the pack came together as a group of outcasts and misfits, using the MC as a cover. Morgan is as human as they come, but his life changes in almost unrecognisable ways, starting off with his dad losing their home to gambling. Think of a snowball mixed in with personal choices, and you will see how it gets bigger as it rolls downhill.
I loved the relationship between Lynx and Morgan, and then between the two of them individually and the rest of the pack. This isn't a warm and fuzzy book, but it isn't unnecessary angst either. Everything that is in here is for a reason, and I was completely hooked with every word.
Although the time it is set in is quite fast, I found the pacing to be perfect, giving time with the pack, Morgan, and Lynx in between the action. It was a mix of dark (fight rings), emotional (Lynx and Morgan, Morgan and Luke, etc.), and funny (comments between the pack members), so if that's what you enjoy, I think you will love this.
There are a couple of possible couples that I'm hoping for, together with characters I want to find love, and I honestly can't wait for the next book, no matter who it features. Another fantastic world to lose myself in. Absolutely brilliant and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me.
** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 25, 2025
Annabelle Jacobs writes brilliant British Urban Fantasy, and this one is no different. In a world where humans don't know about shifters, the pack came together as a group of outcasts and misfits, using the MC as a cover. Morgan is as human as they come, but his life changes in almost unrecognisable ways, starting off with his dad losing their home to gambling. Think of a snowball mixed in with personal choices, and you will see how it gets bigger as it rolls downhill.
I loved the relationship between Lynx and Morgan, and then between the two of them individually and the rest of the pack. This isn't a warm and fuzzy book, but it isn't unnecessary angst either. Everything that is in here is for a reason, and I was completely hooked with every word.
Although the time it is set in is quite fast, I found the pacing to be perfect, giving time with the pack, Morgan, and Lynx in between the action. It was a mix of dark (fight rings), emotional (Lynx and Morgan, Morgan and Luke, etc.), and funny (comments between the pack members), so if that's what you enjoy, I think you will love this.
There are a couple of possible couples that I'm hoping for, together with characters I want to find love, and I honestly can't wait for the next book, no matter who it features. Another fantastic world to lose myself in. Absolutely brilliant and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me.
** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 25, 2025
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Wolf Road in Books
Dec 14, 2018
3.5 Stars
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
“Any lie can turn into the truth if you believe it long enough.” <i>The Wolf Road</i> is the debut literary thriller by British author Beth Lewis. The post-apocalyptic world is not a very safe place to be, especially for a seven year old during a fierce and dangerous storm. Lost in the woods, a young girl comes across a man who, after naming her Elka, gives her a place to stay for the next ten years of her life. During this time he teaches her how to trap animals, use hunting knives and move silently between the trees – all the vital things needed to survive in the wild. For a long time Elka views this man as a father figure, but on discovering that her beloved Daddy is a serial killer, she realizes she has been living a life of lies.
Desperate to get away from the horrifying realization, Elka runs off deep into the forest with only a hunting knife and the clothes on her back. With nowhere to go, she decides to try and find her birth parents, but although she can easily survive in the wild, she is completely unprepared for the human world. With a childlike innocence, Elka finds herself in trouble on numerous occasions, only feeling at ease once she is back in the woods living the life of wolves. However she soon realizes that she will never be safe no matter how far she travels – not until that murderer is dead himself.
Once you get used to Elka’s colourful dialect, the gripping narrative pulls us into a world with danger around every corner. Elka’s revelation at the beginning of the book seems like a small issue compared with all the trouble she finds herself in later on. The reader will sympathize with Elka as she discovers the evils of man, and admire her strength as well as the development of a conscience after meeting and making her first ever friend. But whilst Elka learns how to walk amongst humans, there is a foreboding sense of doom as evilness keeps her within its sights.
<i>The Wolf Road</i> is a great post-apocalyptic story with a strong protagonist. At times it takes on a similar theme to a western novel, with guns, gold mining, and violence; but it is essentially a thriller built up of lies that are gradually unpicked. There is no psychological element to the book, thus nothing to try and work out for yourself. You simply need to read and discover what happens. As a result this book is the kind you will either love or hate. Some people may find it disturbing or gruesome, whereas others may find it exciting and enjoy reading about the unique main character.
Personally I think <i>The Wolf Road</i> is a great, original piece of work, and it only loses stars because I found a few parts a bit too grisly. Beth Lewis writes well and it cannot have been easy to keep the dialect up for the entire novel. This is an author who definitely has promise for the future.
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
“Any lie can turn into the truth if you believe it long enough.” <i>The Wolf Road</i> is the debut literary thriller by British author Beth Lewis. The post-apocalyptic world is not a very safe place to be, especially for a seven year old during a fierce and dangerous storm. Lost in the woods, a young girl comes across a man who, after naming her Elka, gives her a place to stay for the next ten years of her life. During this time he teaches her how to trap animals, use hunting knives and move silently between the trees – all the vital things needed to survive in the wild. For a long time Elka views this man as a father figure, but on discovering that her beloved Daddy is a serial killer, she realizes she has been living a life of lies.
Desperate to get away from the horrifying realization, Elka runs off deep into the forest with only a hunting knife and the clothes on her back. With nowhere to go, she decides to try and find her birth parents, but although she can easily survive in the wild, she is completely unprepared for the human world. With a childlike innocence, Elka finds herself in trouble on numerous occasions, only feeling at ease once she is back in the woods living the life of wolves. However she soon realizes that she will never be safe no matter how far she travels – not until that murderer is dead himself.
Once you get used to Elka’s colourful dialect, the gripping narrative pulls us into a world with danger around every corner. Elka’s revelation at the beginning of the book seems like a small issue compared with all the trouble she finds herself in later on. The reader will sympathize with Elka as she discovers the evils of man, and admire her strength as well as the development of a conscience after meeting and making her first ever friend. But whilst Elka learns how to walk amongst humans, there is a foreboding sense of doom as evilness keeps her within its sights.
<i>The Wolf Road</i> is a great post-apocalyptic story with a strong protagonist. At times it takes on a similar theme to a western novel, with guns, gold mining, and violence; but it is essentially a thriller built up of lies that are gradually unpicked. There is no psychological element to the book, thus nothing to try and work out for yourself. You simply need to read and discover what happens. As a result this book is the kind you will either love or hate. Some people may find it disturbing or gruesome, whereas others may find it exciting and enjoy reading about the unique main character.
Personally I think <i>The Wolf Road</i> is a great, original piece of work, and it only loses stars because I found a few parts a bit too grisly. Beth Lewis writes well and it cannot have been easy to keep the dialect up for the entire novel. This is an author who definitely has promise for the future.
Ultimate Jungle Simulator
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Dash into your newest adventure as a powerful Gorilla, crafty Lemur, or a deadly Tiger! Choose from...
Wildlife Simulator: Bear
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Live the life of a Grizzly Bear! Survive as a young bear in a forest filled with dangerous...
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Red Dead Redemption 2 in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
With a canvas as large as the Old West and a reputation for building massive interactive worlds; to say that expectations were high for Red Dead Redemption 2 would be an understatement.
Thankfully Rockstar was more than up to the task and have crafted the ultimate Wild West adventure simulator which gives gamers so many choices along the way.
Playing as a member of the gang forced to take refuge from bitter cold and hostile enemies, players get a tutorial in combat, hunting, riding, and various other skills they will need to survive. In time, players will forge their own path which can involve any number of options from collecting bounties, robbing trains, helping people, and more.
There are countless side quests to go with the main story and each frame of the game is stunning and epic with its sweeping vistas and scenic locales. You truly get a sense of how big the map is by just seeing the time it can take to travel from one locale to another.
Along the way players will upgrade their gear and can find new horses including some rare ones indeed which will take some effort to obtain.
The horses themselves are impressive as they simply are not there to provide transportation, but are vital characters that players need to bond with and develop a solid relationship in order to survive. Bandits and Lawmen are not the only dangers facing players, as there are numerous dangerous animals from Wolves to Bears which players will encounter.
The game does require a solid investment of time as it is not something you can sit down and play an hour at a time. Players will have to pay attention to cut scenes and travel often to get to needed areas and to collect vital resources. While some may find it a bit slow starting out; once you get a couple of chapters in; things really get rolling.
The graphics and sound are highly detailed and very immersive and I remember my wife thinking one segment of gameplay was animation until she saw my weaving style of horsemanship on display.
As I write this, Rockstar has started Beta access for the Online portion of the game which gives players even more options to enjoy. Playing with and against other players is a big draw but naturally some balancing and adjustments will need to be made. I found myself on a mission recently that once I completed the first part, I was unable to locate where to go and what to do next. This was further complicated by restrictions on leaving the mission area. I also attempted to go Lone Wolf and shoot up a town to see what happens as players often do in Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto Series.
Instead of fleeing from the expected mob of Lawmen, I was told that my mission had failed due to the Law being alerted.
It would be nice to be able to customize the controls as I at times found the combat mechanics a bit tricky as I play most of my shooters on a PC and having to be precise or score multiple hits on a moving target with the weapons of the era and a Dual Shock 4 was a bit challenging.
That being said; Red Dead Redemption 2 is a stunning achievement and one that has to be experienced.
http://sknr.net/2018/12/04/red-dead-redemption-2/
Thankfully Rockstar was more than up to the task and have crafted the ultimate Wild West adventure simulator which gives gamers so many choices along the way.
Playing as a member of the gang forced to take refuge from bitter cold and hostile enemies, players get a tutorial in combat, hunting, riding, and various other skills they will need to survive. In time, players will forge their own path which can involve any number of options from collecting bounties, robbing trains, helping people, and more.
There are countless side quests to go with the main story and each frame of the game is stunning and epic with its sweeping vistas and scenic locales. You truly get a sense of how big the map is by just seeing the time it can take to travel from one locale to another.
Along the way players will upgrade their gear and can find new horses including some rare ones indeed which will take some effort to obtain.
The horses themselves are impressive as they simply are not there to provide transportation, but are vital characters that players need to bond with and develop a solid relationship in order to survive. Bandits and Lawmen are not the only dangers facing players, as there are numerous dangerous animals from Wolves to Bears which players will encounter.
The game does require a solid investment of time as it is not something you can sit down and play an hour at a time. Players will have to pay attention to cut scenes and travel often to get to needed areas and to collect vital resources. While some may find it a bit slow starting out; once you get a couple of chapters in; things really get rolling.
The graphics and sound are highly detailed and very immersive and I remember my wife thinking one segment of gameplay was animation until she saw my weaving style of horsemanship on display.
As I write this, Rockstar has started Beta access for the Online portion of the game which gives players even more options to enjoy. Playing with and against other players is a big draw but naturally some balancing and adjustments will need to be made. I found myself on a mission recently that once I completed the first part, I was unable to locate where to go and what to do next. This was further complicated by restrictions on leaving the mission area. I also attempted to go Lone Wolf and shoot up a town to see what happens as players often do in Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto Series.
Instead of fleeing from the expected mob of Lawmen, I was told that my mission had failed due to the Law being alerted.
It would be nice to be able to customize the controls as I at times found the combat mechanics a bit tricky as I play most of my shooters on a PC and having to be precise or score multiple hits on a moving target with the weapons of the era and a Dual Shock 4 was a bit challenging.
That being said; Red Dead Redemption 2 is a stunning achievement and one that has to be experienced.
http://sknr.net/2018/12/04/red-dead-redemption-2/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Pete's Dragon (2016) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Pete’s Dragon is a staple of my childhood. It was one of the three movies I would always choose to watch. So, naturally, I was a little worried when I heard about the new movie earlier this year. The teaser trailer didn’t give much to go by, but it looked promising. I trying something new this year where I do not watch anything beyond the teaser trailer (believe me, it’s killing me not to watch the new Rogue One trailer), so that’s all I had going into this. And I was pleasantly surprised.
39 years after the original, David Lowery brings us the re-invention of Pete’s Dragon. His aim was not to remake the original film, but to reinvent it. And that he did. PD opens up with a family traveling through a forest on a road trip. The young boy, Pete (Levi Alexander) is reading from a book about a lost puppy name Elliot. A tragic accident occurs, which leaves Pete by himself in the forest. As he starts to wander, a pack of wolves begins to close in on him, only to be thwarted by… you guessed it. A dragon.
Flash forward 6 years, and we now see an older Pete (Oakes Fegley) running around through the forest with Elliot, the dragon who he bonded with over the years. Pete happens upon a forest ranger, Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard) as she is scouting the forest, unmarking trees that were marked for cut down. She’s not a rebel, just protecting the habitat of an owl. Turns out her fiancé, Jack (Wes Bentley), and his brother, Gavin (Karl Urban), run the company that is tearing down the forest. One day, they happen upon Pete and bring him home, but Pete misses Elliot, and Elliot misses Pete. In an effort to get back to him, Elliot is discovered by Gavin who wants to hunt down Pete and bring him in. Grace seeks assistance from her father, Meachum (Robert Redford), who was always thought of as a crazy old man with his wild story of a dragon he met so many years ago. Can they help save Elliot from Gavin and his men?
While a little darker than the original, I found that I enjoyed this movie quite a lot. There are some plot holes to consider, and a little unbelievable on how fast the story develops in time passed in the universe set up here, but you have to understand that this movie is geared toward children. And I think they did well in creating an entertaining film for children and nostalgic adults alike. In fact, this screening was the quietest family screening I have ever attended. There were plenty of kids in the audience, but they were captivated.
Keeping in mind that this is truly a children’s movie, my biggest gripe was the absence of my favorite scene from the original (scorched apples, anyone?). But all in all, it is definitely something to get out to theaters to see. Lowery had indicated that he chose the appearance for Elliot as he did because he wanted to portray a dragon you could hug. Success, Mr. Lowery. Success. Pete’s Dragon is good fun for the whole family, so what are you waiting for? Go see it, already.
39 years after the original, David Lowery brings us the re-invention of Pete’s Dragon. His aim was not to remake the original film, but to reinvent it. And that he did. PD opens up with a family traveling through a forest on a road trip. The young boy, Pete (Levi Alexander) is reading from a book about a lost puppy name Elliot. A tragic accident occurs, which leaves Pete by himself in the forest. As he starts to wander, a pack of wolves begins to close in on him, only to be thwarted by… you guessed it. A dragon.
Flash forward 6 years, and we now see an older Pete (Oakes Fegley) running around through the forest with Elliot, the dragon who he bonded with over the years. Pete happens upon a forest ranger, Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard) as she is scouting the forest, unmarking trees that were marked for cut down. She’s not a rebel, just protecting the habitat of an owl. Turns out her fiancé, Jack (Wes Bentley), and his brother, Gavin (Karl Urban), run the company that is tearing down the forest. One day, they happen upon Pete and bring him home, but Pete misses Elliot, and Elliot misses Pete. In an effort to get back to him, Elliot is discovered by Gavin who wants to hunt down Pete and bring him in. Grace seeks assistance from her father, Meachum (Robert Redford), who was always thought of as a crazy old man with his wild story of a dragon he met so many years ago. Can they help save Elliot from Gavin and his men?
While a little darker than the original, I found that I enjoyed this movie quite a lot. There are some plot holes to consider, and a little unbelievable on how fast the story develops in time passed in the universe set up here, but you have to understand that this movie is geared toward children. And I think they did well in creating an entertaining film for children and nostalgic adults alike. In fact, this screening was the quietest family screening I have ever attended. There were plenty of kids in the audience, but they were captivated.
Keeping in mind that this is truly a children’s movie, my biggest gripe was the absence of my favorite scene from the original (scorched apples, anyone?). But all in all, it is definitely something to get out to theaters to see. Lowery had indicated that he chose the appearance for Elliot as he did because he wanted to portray a dragon you could hug. Success, Mr. Lowery. Success. Pete’s Dragon is good fun for the whole family, so what are you waiting for? Go see it, already.
Bad, Dad, And Dangerous Anthology
Rhys Ford, TA Moore, Bru Baker and Jenn Moffatt
8.0
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Bad, Dad, and Dangerous Anthology When the kids are away, the monsters will play. School’s out...
Paranormal Romance MM MF