Fantasy

The Last Dragonslayer (Chronicles of Kazam #1) By: Jasper Fforde

The Last Dragonslayer

The Last Dragonslayer (Chronicles of Kazam #1) By: Jasper Fforde

Plot:

In the good old days, magic was indispensable—it could both save a kingdom and clear a clogged drain. But now magic is fading: drain cleaner is cheaper than a spell, and magic carpets are used for pizza delivery. Fifteen-year-old foundling Jennifer Strange runs Kazam, an employment agency for magicians—but it’s hard to stay in business when magic is drying up. And then the visions start, predicting the death of the world’s last dragon at the hands of an unnamed Dragonslayer. If the visions are true, everything will change for Kazam—and for Jennifer. Because something is coming. Something known as . . . Big Magic.

Review:

Jasper Fforde’s books are so awesome and strange and cool and fanciful and off the wall bizarre and I love them. Well there was one I didn’t love, but all the others I do. I think, there’s a couple yet that I need to read.

Anyway, this is a young adult novel that is not filled with stupid teenage emotions and all that CW stuff that often times pops up in YA books. This is a great Jasper Fforde for kids book. It’s funny and ridiculous and thought provoking. It’s a great start of what could be an awesome series and I can’t wait to read the next one.

5/5

Sweep in Peace (Innkeeper Chronicles #2) By: Ilona Andrews

Sweep in Peace

Sweep in Peace (Innkeeper Chronicles #2) By: Ilona Andrews

Plot:

Dina DeMille doesn’t run your typical Bed and Breakfast. Her inn defies laws of physics, her fluffy dog is secretly a monster, and the only paying guest is a former Galactic tyrant with a price on her head. But the inn needs guests to thrive, and guests have been scarce, so when an Arbitrator shows up at Dina’s door and asks her to host a peace summit between three warring species, she jumps on the chance.

Unfortunately, for Dina, keeping the peace between Space Vampires, the Hope-Crushing Horde, and the devious Merchants of Baha-char is much easier said than done. On top of keeping her guests from murdering each other, she must find a chef, remodel the inn…and risk everything, even her life, to save the man she might fall in love with. But then it’s all in the day’s work for an Innkeeper…

Review:

I honestly think what really pushed me to read this series was knowing that some of the characters I liked in the Edge Series made an appearance. George, Jack, and Lark are all grown up and they still very much have their issues.

Still this is Dina’s story and even though I liked the Edge character’s appearance, I preferred her part in everything. She’s like a patch of light in the middle of a lot of darkness, but when she realizes she’s being played she doesn’t pitch a fit or mope she took care of business.

Fair warning, I cried a lot while reading this. A lot. Freaked my family out.

Really hope there’s another book and I probably won’t be able to stop myself from reading it on Andrew’s website.

5/5

Clean Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles #1) By: Ilona Andrews

Clean Sweep

Clean Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles #1) By: Ilona Andrews

Plot:

On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is…different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, “normal” is a bit of a stretch for Dina. And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night….Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.

Review:

I waited a while before reading this Ilona Andrews book. I knew, at the time, that she was posting it in chapters on her website, but I chose to wait until it was done. Then I kind of forgot about it until the second book was published as well. Wow, was not expecting this.

Clean Sweep is a supernatural/Sci-Fi mix and I love it! I can understand why this wasn’t published traditionally because it’s probably a hard sell, but I’m so glad they found a way to get it out there.

Dina is a great heroine, she’s smart and capable but not overpowered. Her Inn is just as interesting. She is also, not like I feared, anything like Kate Daniels. She is very much a new character.

Loved the world that was created and teased, since it was a shorter book there wasn’t as much as I would like, but there was still a fair amount of info. Really looking forward to the next book and I’m already sad there’s only one more.

5/5

 

Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015)

star-wars-the-force-awakens

Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015)

Director:

J.J. Abrams

Starring:

Daisy Ridley

John Boyega

Oscar Isaac

Plot:

Three decades after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, a new threat arises. The First Order attempts to rule the galaxy and only a ragtag group of heroes can stop them, along with the help of the Resistance.

Review:

***Some Spoilers***

I waited until I’d seen this movie twice before I sat down to write a review. I worked very hard to keep my expectations low for this movie. Up until the trailers that was really easy to do, still I managed and I think that helped me enjoy it better. I went in with no theories or desires and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it even more on the second viewing.

I loved the new characters, they were each so awesome that I flip flop between my favorite. I loved the fact that the main lead was a woman, I know I’ve had Leia and Padme in the last movies but it was different this time. I even liked BB-8.

What I didn’t like or really wished they’d spent more work on were the villains. Kylo Ren was a whinny little boy and I really just wanted to smack him, there was none of the fear that Vader evoked. Captain Phasma was barely in the movie which made all her merchandising misleading. Even the bad dude pulling Ren’s strings wasn’t scary. As a whole they were all seriously lacking.

I’m sure some of that will be fixed in the next movie, but I’m getting tired of movies being used to build up their sequels. Marvel is doing that way too much lately and it’s bothering me.

Anyway, this movie did not ruin my childhood and it was not the second coming, but it was a good addition to the series.

4/5

Shannara Chronicles (2016-?)

Shannara-Chronicles

Shannara Chronicles (2016-?)

Network:

MTV

Starring:

Austin Butler

Poppy Drayton

Ivana Baquero

Manu Bennett

Plot:

Series of adventures, war, and evil that occur throughout the history of the Four Lands.

Review:

I don’t watch MTV so I managed to see no marketing for this. It wasn’t until I was reading a thread about upcoming TV shows that I even found out about it. On a whim I set my DVR to record and apart from the fact that it recorded a horrible SD quality version I was really impressed.

Most of the reviews I’ve read have been pretty negative, so naturally that meant I liked the show. I hate when that happens, it’s Tomorrowland all over again. Oh well, the fan reception (what I’ve read at least) has been pretty positive.

I haven’t read the source material, in fact I’m not sure if I’ve read anything by Terry Brooks, but I don’t think that made the show and less enjoyable. Which is not always the case, so that was nice.

I loved the fact that there are two kick ass female leads and of course Manu Bennett was awesome. There’s a lot going on in the pilot and at times it was difficult to watch because my cable was messing up, but I’m really excited to see what happens next.

That ending, man, I’m already looking to see if I can watch the next episodes on MTVs app.

4/5