Firefight (Reckoners #2) By: Brandon Sanderson

Firefight-by-Brandon-Sanderson

Firefight (Reckoners #2) By: Brandon Sanderson

Plot:

They told David it was impossible–that even the Reckoners had never killed a High Epic. Yet, Steelheart–invincible, immortal, unconquerable–is dead. And he died by David’s hand.

Eliminating Steelheart was supposed to make life more simple. Instead, it only made David realize he has questions. Big ones. And there’s no one in Newcago who can give him the answers he needs.

Babylon Restored, the old borough of Manhattan, has possibilities, though. Ruled by the mysterious High Epic, Regalia, David is sure Babylon Restored will lead him to what he needs to find. And while entering another city oppressed by a High Epic despot is a gamble, David’s willing to risk it. Because killing Steelheart left a hole in David’s heart. A hole where his thirst for vengeance once lived. Somehow, he filled that hole with another Epic–Firefight. And he’s willing to go on a quest darker, and more dangerous even, than the fight against Steelheart to find her, and to get his answers.

Review:

Sanderson certainly knows how to write a climactic ending. I was on the edge of my seat as the book came to a close and immediately wanted to read the next. In the heat of the moment I forgot all the little things that annoyed me and had to know what was going to happen next, now that I’m done though all those little things are rearing their heads.

David is an annoying protagonist. I’m not sure if it’s just because he’s acting like a typical nineteen year old boy or if the writing really is inconsistent. One minute David is figuring out something that no one else has before, the next he’s acting like a complete idiot. Flashes of brilliance followed by extreme idiocy. Could just be a typical nineteen year old boy.

I enjoyed how the world was developed but I’m not really liking the Reckoners. They deal with too much black and white and are so resistant to anything they don’t immediately understand. They don’t seem willing to explore new ideas and it was a constant battle for David to get them to do anything.

There were a few deaths in the book but none of them hit me. The characters just didn’t resonate with me and their loss felt like nothing. Their deaths didn’t impact the story in any way except to prove that someone was evil and honestly I already didn’t like that person.

There’s a short story in between this book and the first, Mitosis. I bought it while it was on sale, but was in the middle of reading something else and then totally forgot it. I highly recommend reading it before this book because it’s referenced several times and seems to do a fair amount of world building by explaining Epics powers and weaknesses.

Even with what I disliked this book was still great. I didn’t think it was as dark as the first and I ended up flying through it. Excited for the next in the series, but I have a wait since its current release date is Feb. 16, 2016.

4.5/5

Stardust (2007)

Stardust

Stardust (2007)

Director:

Matthew Vaughn

Starring:

Charlie Cox

Claire Danes

Sienna Miller

Michelle Pfeiffer

Robert De Niro

Plot:

In a countryside town bordering on a magical land, a young man makes a promise to his beloved that he’ll retrieve a fallen star by venturing into the magical realm.

Review:

I remember when this movie came out. Not because of a trailer or poster or any kind of advertising, but because the $1.50 theater I worked at got it. That’s the only reason I knew it existed. I have no idea what the marketing department was doing with this one, but they really dropped the ball.

Amazing cast, stellar source material, and a great movie. It’s one of those movies I’ve watched so many times that I sometimes use it to fall asleep to, because I can close my eyes and see the story in my mind. Love it.

Even now as I scan the IMDB page the order of cast is crazy. Charlie Cox and Claire Danes are main characters but so is Michelle Pfeiffer and she is way down there. It’s just bizarre. At least she made the poster.

Anyway, it’s a beautiful, fanciful story that I highly recommend.

5/5

Side note- That dorky looking dude in the pic above is now Daredevil.

Clariel (Abhorsen #4) By: Garth Nix
Not the cover I had but super cool

Not the cover I had but super cool

Clariel (Abhorsen #4) By: Garth Nix

Plot:

Sixteen-year-old Clariel is not adjusting well to her new life in the city of Belisaere, the capital of the Old Kingdom. She misses roaming freely within the forests of Estwael, and she feels trapped within the stone city walls. And in Belisaere she is forced to follow the plans, plots and demands of everyone, from her parents to her maid, to the sinister Guildmaster Kilp. Clariel can see her freedom slipping away. It seems too that the city itself is descending into chaos, as the ancient rules binding Abhorsen, King and Clayr appear to be disintegrating.

With the discovery of a dangerous Free Magic creature loose in the city, Clariel is given the chance both to prove her worth and make her escape. But events spin rapidly out of control. Clariel finds herself more trapped than ever, until help comes from an unlikely source. But the help comes at a terrible cost. Clariel must question the motivations and secret hearts of everyone around her – and it is herself she must question most of all.

Review:

It’s been years since I read the original Abhorsen books and I think that turned out to be a good thing. I’m normally not a fan of prequels but because it’s been so long since I was in this world it didn’t feel like a prequel. I barely remember anything from the first books and reading this one just made me want to go back and re-read them.

The book was a great cautionary tale of what happens when people shirk their duties and don’t teach children important things. The whole situation that Clariel found herself in would never have happened if so many people had done their jobs. The king shouldn’t have just given up on life. The Abhorsen should have grown a pair. Her parents should have actually taught her about her history and why certain things were done. Total disregard for the importance of their duties.

I really couldn’t help but feel sorry for Clariel. She just wanted to live in her woods and no one would let her. The ending is bittersweet and I won’t ruin it here, it goes perfectly with the endings of the previous books, though.

I’ve got a whole pile of books checked out from the library and now I’m going to have to resist re-reading the first three books in the series. I’m really looking forward to Nix’s next book and hope we don’t have to wait as long for it.

5/5

 

Pound of Flesh (2015)

Pound of Flesh

Pound of Flesh (2015)

Director:

Ernie Barbarash

Starring:

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Darren Shahlavi

Charlotte Peters

Plot:

A man’s heroic attempt to help a woman in distress ends up with him waking up the next day without a kidney and plotting his revenge.

Review:

In case you couldn’t tell from the plot synopsis or the pic this movie is not good. The question is, is it so bad that it’s good?

No.

That was easy.

When JCVD is the best actor in your movie, you’re going to have a bad time. There was green screen at really odd moments, awkward shots, and poor plotting. The movie was truly embarrassing to watch and apparently one of the better cheaply made action movies out there.

Even if you like those types of movies I really couldn’t recommend this one. The ending is truly horrible and I ended up fast forwarding through a lot of it. The only reason it’s not getting a one star is because I didn’t absolutely hate it.

1.5/5

The Zodiac Paradox (Fringe #1) By: Christa Faust

fringe-the-zodiac-paradox

The Zodiac Paradox (Fringe #1) By: Christa Faust

Plot:

In 1971 university students Walter Bishop and William Bell use an exotic chemical compound to link their subconscious minds. Unexpectedly, they open a rip in space through which comes a menace unlike any our world has ever seen – the Zodiac Killer. His singular goal is death, and it falls to Bishop, Bell, and Nina Sharp to stop him.

Review:

A couple months ago I re-watched Fringe and immediately after doing that I wanted MORE! So I searched and found this series. As anyone that has read book adaptations of non-book worlds knows they can be hit or miss. I’ve loved some Star Trek books and hated others, the same with the Fable video game books. However, I really wanted more in the world and bought the first one, without reading the blurb, not sure why I did that.

I should have been clued in by the title but I was still surprised that the book was about the Zodiac Killer. I’ve read some books on serial killers that of course mention the Zodiac but it’s been a few years so I couldn’t tell you if the facts were right. Honestly, I don’t think it matters.

The story was interesting and revolved around Walter, Bell, and Nina. It was nice to see them younger and see the beginning of… everything really. You saw Bell and Nina get it on for the first time and their more than romantic bond begin. You also saw the beginning of Cortexiphan.

I was unsure of the depiction of Walter. In most of the flashbacks that I remember in the TV show he seemed very focused on Science, but not as absent minded or crazy as he seemed in this book. I thought the crazy didn’t happen until they took the part out of his brain. He was the moral center of this book, but was easily overruled by Bell and Nina, which I don’t really see becoming the character that is in such control in the TV show before the brain slice.

I liked seeing Walter again but I’d really like to read more about the other characters. This was definitely a prequel to the TV show and I’m never too fond of those, however, it was nice to see the origins in this case.

4/5