Saturday, May 25, 2013

Star Trek Into the Darkness

     I grew up on re-runs of Star Trek. Grew up on the spin off series. I loved the first Star Trek reboot. When I saw the promo's for this one, I was hooked.

     The 3-D adds to the experience, and Star Trek is one of those type films that is better on the big screen.

     I was not disappointed at all. I loved this installment. Benedict Cumberbatch makes an excellent Khan. Yes, both versions of this villain is brilliant and perfectly evil. But this John Harrison/Khan version is much more subtle game player. Manipulative, violent when he wants to be, cruel too. The perfect blended sociopath.

     A good story. Never disappointing. Bits of humor in all the right places. Abrams does Star Trek well. Looking for a good sci-fi action flick, this is definitely one to see. Hoping for more.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Department 19 by Will Hill

This is the first book in a YA, young adult series.

     When I came across the summary for this book, it peeked my interest. Paranormal, supernatural tale about vampires, and other creatures that roam the night. I really had hopes for this book. Sadly, I will not be reading this series.

     Let me start out with the things I disliked with this book, and I'll end with the things that I did like.

1. I couldn't connect with the main character Jaime. I have read other YA books and could connect with the character, even if I didn't have much or anything in common with them. There were times that to me Jaime felt fake. Sometimes it was inner thoughts, and other times his actions. They didn't seem to fit Jaime at all.

2. Part of my connection problem was the way the story shifted from the present and past. The transition to Larissa's tale was well done and didn't disrupt the flow of the story. There's another part of the past that should have been told back to back, in two chapters, and wasn't. I also didn't enjoy the jumping into other places where certain things happened, that really could have been summed up, considering it had no real bearing on what was going on in Jaime's life.

3. This is just a personal dislike thing. Why in a paranormal or supernatural book, must the love story be between a normal human and someone who is other? It seems to happen a lot. Are there not any normal like humans that are available for romance?

4. Larissa's fate isn't mentioned. By the end of the story we know what is going on with everyone else, but not Larissa. Why? There's not a point in leaving her fate out.

     There were a few things I liked.

1. A good mix of fiction and historical fact.

2. Though a more common idea of a secret organization that fight the creatures of darkness, I like the way the organization was set up and who did it.

3. I enjoyed the tales from the past, though they did interrupt the flow of the story.

     Overall, it wasn't a bad read. Just not good enough to make me want to read more about Department 19.

 



Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Iron Man 3

I have seen the previous films. I think the first will always be my favorite, but I did enjoy this one. I didn't see it in 3-D, though. Does look like that would enhance the viewing experience.

     What I really liked in this film is the character progression of Tony Stark. You start with a rich, arrogant, genius playboy. He finds his way, has a change of heart and becomes a knight for the cause of right. By the third installment, Tony is human. You see the frailty, uncertainty, frightened man, who hides behind his armor.
     As the story evolves, his past comes back to haunt him and in a sense he loses his identity. His armor is shattered. He's forced to reach inside himself, and fight his inner demons, and either win his internal battle or lose what he has become.
     Yes, it has a good bad guy. A good story, but it is the personal conflict that drives this film, and that's what makes it all the better, in my opinion.
     Worth seeing.

Friday, May 10, 2013

Hotter than Hell Short Story Collection

This was another average collection of stories. All are the different paranormal tales about love and lust.

     It contains a dozen tales. As all collections, it has to have to have at least one author I'm familiar with. I'll briefly look at each tale.

Tanya Huff : Familiar with her Vampire mysteries, the Blood Series. Blood Price is the first book in that series.
     This tale is about two brother musicians with a secret of their success. Weak story line. At times felt a bit more like a porn tale, with a supernatural twist.

Majorie M. Liu: Her tale is a twist on the Minotaur and the maze. Felt like it could have been more fleshed out. Fell short.

Cheyenne McCray: Her tale is about an Incubus and his intended victim, a writer. Not too bad of a tale.

L.A. Banks: An author I love. The first book in her Crimson Moon Series, is Bite the Bullet.
     Her tale is about a Greek Goddess defending her forest, and a soldier on a mission to find missing CEO's taken hostage by an environmental terrorist group. Not bad.

Susan Kincaid: An ancient family curse from a witch. The man trying to find redemption and break it. Alright.

Keri Arthur: A werewolf and a shifter investigate the disappearance of teenage boys. This had potential but got lost somewhere along the way. Needed to be a bit more flushed out. Lacked balance of romance and case.

Heidi Betts: A modern twist on Beauty and the Beast. Alright tale.

Lillith Saintcrow: This tale is about a witch who gets her power from sex and a vampire, who "protects" her. Felt like a prologue or start of a full novel. Disappointed.

Susan Sizemore and Denise Little: This tale involves time travelers, The Dark Ages, and a famous legend.

Carrie Vaughn: An author I enjoy. Her werewolf series is Kitty Norville Series. The first book is Kitty and the Midnight Hour.
     This tale is a about a young vampire who craves her old life, and breaks the rule of hunting in old haunts. It's pretty good.

Linda Winstead Jones: A mysterious next door neighbor, a vampire obsessed girl. Could he be a vampire? Not a bad tale.

Kim Harrison:  Author I love. Rachel Morgan or The Hollows Series. First book is Dead Witch Walking.
     This tale is a about a Psychic Vampire and her quest to find love.
Pretty Good.